Next generation of advanced visualization, hybrid imaging leadership and low dose technology highlight the Siemens booth
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Chicago, Ill., November 27, 2010 – At the 96th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), from November 28 to December 2 in Chicago, Siemens excels with innovations in advanced visualization, low dose and hybrid imaging technology. The Siemens booth (Booth #822, East Building/Lakeside Center, Hall D) will serve as an interactive experience for attendees wanting to see first-hand how these solutions can provide enhanced imaging and information technology (IT) options to help provide the optimal care for their patients.
“For Siemens, RSNA is not just a venue to showcase our innovations to the customer – it’s a way to prove it to them,” said Hermann Requardt, CEO, Siemens Healthcare Sector. “By turning our booth into an interactive learning experience, the customer becomes not only a part of the technology, but also a part of the solution. Innovation is a team effort between Siemens and its customers.”
Taking center stage at the booth is syngo®.via1, Siemens’ next generation of advanced visualization, integrating imaging and information technology with Radiology Information Systems (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) to provide optimal reading efficiency across multiple specialties, including cardiology, oncology, and neurology. To demonstrate the benefits of syngo.via, visitors to the Siemens booth can view a series of customer testimonials, as well as interactive touch screens and live theatre presentations.
To further demonstrate its leadership in hybrid imaging, Siemens introduces the Biograph™ mMR2, the world’s first integrated whole-body molecular MR with simultaneous data acquisition technology, currently undergoing clinical use testing. This revolutionary system comprises a Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner and an integrated Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detection system with an architecture that performs as one. In the new 3 Tesla (T) hybrid system, Siemens developers have succeeded, for the first time, in simultaneously, capturing MR and PET data with a whole-body system.
Siemens will also provide attendees with an inside look at the company’s Low Dose solutions in medical imaging and health IT, by providing a special Low Dose area of the booth for attendees to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of how the technology was developed, before viewing the low dose technologies themselves.
At RSNA 2010, Siemens will showcase the following technologies:
Angiography
The Artis zee® family remains Siemens’ exclusive portfolio of products for interventional imaging in radiology, cardiology, and surgery: Artis zee boasts differentiators unique to the industry, including the widest range of clinical configurations available; Artis zeego® is healthcare’s only robotic-assisted C-arm; and large-volume syngo® DynaCT enables physicians to see the whole abdomen or the entire liver for chemoembolization and biopsies.
Siemens will highlight the Artis zee family at our RSNA booth, emphasizing its dose reduction features within the booth’s dose pavilion, as the topic is playing an increasingly important role during minimally invasive procedures for patients and staff alike.
Working closely with leading interventional radiologists across the globe, Siemens offers its unique technology package called CARE, or Combined Applications to Reduce Exposure. CARE has been continuously reducing dose during interventions since 1994. Now, Siemens is refining CARE with our new CAREguard to help interventionalists track patient skin dose. What’s more, all Artis zee customers – both existing and new – will receive the Siemens CARE package, either as part of their upcoming software update process or upon new system installation. This significant financial investment underscores Siemens’ commitment to helping customers reduce dose thereby optimizing patient outcomes.
Computed Tomography
Highlighting its patient-centric productivity, Siemens will demonstrate its groundbreaking CT technologies which help improve patient care, deliver outstanding image quality and enhance clinical workflow.
Coupled with those technologies, Siemens will also demonstrate its commitment to dose reduction.
From the earliest days, Siemens has developed many significant products and protocols that follow the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle to reduce radiation dose to the lowest possible level. Over the years, Siemens CT has introduced revolutionary technologies, such as Adaptive Dose Shield, which eliminates pre- and post-spiral radiation, allowing for dose reductions of up to 25 percent, in addition to all other dose savings; Iterative Reconstruction in Image Space (IRIS), with dose savings of up to 60 percent for a wide range of clinical applications; and the SOMATOM® Definition Flash which requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomical details, including scanning of the heart in the blink of an eye with less than 1 mSv.3
Digital Radiography
Also highlighted at the booth will be the Ysio®, a digital radiography solution with an intuitive color touchscreen control that is as individual as your routine. Whether for general, trauma, dedicated chest or other specialized imaging applications, for hospitals or private practices, for budgets large or small, Ysio is available in a variety of combinations: as a wall stand with an integrated detector; a wall and table system with a wireless detector (wi-D); even as a mixed detector solution for high throughput and flexibility. Ysio’s ergonomic table design caters to the full spectrum of patient profiles from pediatrics to bariatrics, offering a 660-pound weight capacity and a low table height of 21 inches for convenient positioning when moving sick or elderly patients from wheelchair to table.
Imaging IT
At RSNA 2010, Siemens will showcase its two newest groundbreaking Imaging IT solutions, syngo.via1 and syngo.plaza, representing the next generation of advanced visualization and agile PACS technologies that deliver cutting-edge functionalities to the clinical routine.
With syngo.via, Siemens’ new imaging software for multimodality reading of clinical cases, the company is placing special focus on reading efficiency through automated case preparation and structured case navigation across multiple specialties, including cardiology, oncology, and neurology. Because syngo.via enables physicians to effortlessly access state-of-the-art advanced visualization tools across the clinical spectrum, the solution stands as an important milestone toward improving workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence levels.
To help further demonstrate syngo.via’s benefits to the imaging profession, Siemens will showcase a series of customer testimonials throughout its RSNA booth, along with interactive touch screens that will enable visitors to learn more about the tool first hand.
While syngo.via has been designed to interface with existing PACS and Radiology Information Systems of all major vendors, Siemens’ innovative client-server technology incentivizes clinicians to use the software in conjunction with the syngo.plaza PACS solution, where users are presented with direct, ‘No-click’ access between the two technologies and a unified user-interface for faster reading.
As the first PACS from Siemens where 2D, 3D, and 4D reading come together in one place, syngo.plaza is helping change the way multimodality images are read today. syngo.plaza offers an intuitive customizable user interface that allows users to set up tools and menus according to their individual needs. It also allows users to define and use the layouts they prefer, helping streamline the reading workflow and eliminate time wasted adjusting to strictly one-size-fits-all PACS technologies.
Visitors will also be able to experience the latest developments in Siemens entire syngo portfolio for Imaging IT, including syngo CAD applications, syngo Imaging, as well as the newest versions of syngo Workflow and syngo Dynamics.
Mammography
The MAMMOMAT® Inspiration Full-Field Digital Mammography System is now commercially available in the United States, offering digital screening and diagnostic mammography, stereotactic biopsy, and upgrade capability to future technologies all in one system. Siemens conducted customer workshops around the world, in which radiologists, radiology technologists and physicists contributed details and suggestions on their vision for a next generation digital mammography system. The Inspiration was designed to help provide a more inviting exam for patients, more efficient workflow for technologists, enhanced image quality for physicians, and cost efficiency for administrators.
Magnetic Resonance
Siemens Healthcare redefined productivity in MRI with its new power couple: Tim® 4G and DotTM. Both technologies are available in the MAGNETOM® Aera 1.5T and the MAGNETOM Skyra 3T MR systems.
The combination of Tim 4G and Dot (Day optimizing throughput) delivers patient-centered care and significantly improved productivity across the entire MRI workflow. Tim 4G is the fourth and most sophisticated generation of Siemens RF and coil technology and provides newly designed ultra high-density coils combined with 48 RF channels, the highest standard channel configuration ever offered. The Dot engine offers a customizable framework for patient personalization, user guidance, and exam automation.
Molecular Imaging
Siemens Healthcare demonstrates the power of the Biograph mCT, the world’s first molecular CT at RSNA 2010. Biograph mCT enables facilities to serve both the nuclear medicine and the radiology department with one system. It achieves this duality through the integration of powerful PET and CT technologies, offering High-Definition PET, time-of-flight technology, and CT configurations up to 128 slices. Biograph mCT is ultra-efficient, offering institutions cutting-edge technology, optimum patient care solutions and potential for increased return on investment. Siemens Healthcare highlights this game-changing technology, where Biograph mCT is utilized both as a dedicated CT and PET•CT imaging system, as well as sophisticated diagnostic tool for oncology management.
Siemens Symbia® family of SPECT and SPECT•CT scanners is flexible enough to meet the changing needs of any imaging facility. Symbia systems are economical yet powerful points of entry into SPECT and SPECT•CT imaging. Now available with a broad range of specialty diagnostic tools, Symbia systems can be used for oncology, cardiology, neurology, and general imaging purposes, satisfying the needs of most facilities.
Siemens will also highlight Symbia.net, the client-server solution for SPECT and SPECT•CT imaging applications for anytime, anywhere processing and reading. Symbia.net allows facilities that require reading from multiple locations to easily share and access patient imaging data.
Refurbished Systems
Siemens answers customers’ needs by expanding its Proven Excellence program with scalable refurbishment, offering more refurbishing choices without sacrificing the high quality Proven Excellence standards. With scalable refurbishment, customers will still be purchasing a system that is based on Siemens’ excellence standards and with warranty, but because of varying customer demands, they are now offered additional refurbishment options to further enhance their system.
As part of the Siemens Proven Excellence program, all systems undergo an in-depth, five-step refurbishing process. After completion of this process the systems are rewarded with the Proven Excellence quality seal. The seal represents the fulfillment of strict specifications of relevant international norms and standards as well as safety regulations.
Additionally, the refurbishing process benefits the environment with less carbon dioxide emitted, thus supporting Siemens’ approach towards sustainability as part of its business strategy.
Ultrasound
Siemens is pioneering the world’s first real-time stereoscopic 3D/4D imaging capability4 on its premier ACUSON S2000™ ultrasound system, delivering real-time 3D ultrasound images that are more detailed and realistic than ever before. This new, paradigm-shifting imaging technology dramatically improves diagnostic confidence and has the potential to become standard ultrasound imaging procedure of the future – beyond the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Utilizing advanced visualization technology that has its roots in immersive 3D film and video production, the ACUSON S2000 system now integrates the new NVIDIA® Quadro® 2000 professional graphics solution. Combined with new NVIDIA 3D Vision™ Pro stereoscopic glasses, this remarkable display of volumetric information offers anatomic views never before seen with conventional 3D imaging techniques. Also available off the ultrasound system using the syngo.fourSight Workplace, this new technology provides additional diagnostic information to improve communication between surgeons and patients or aid in treatment or surgical planning.
Unique, pioneering applications on the ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system also include Virtual Touch™ HD5 technology, the second generation implementation of Acoustic Radiation Forced Impulse (ARFI) imaging, as well as Cadence™ contrast pulse sequencing technology6 to provide penetrating insight into anatomy to help physicians make more confident diagnoses.
Siemens will also highlight groundbreaking image fusion technology, which integrates real-time ultrasound with other modalities like CT and MRI.
Conventional fusion techniques can take up to 30 minutes to set up and usually require several attempts. Also, patients need to lie completely still during the entire exam – which is unrealistic and impractical – or the setup must be repeated. The Siemens fusion solution4 incorporates proprietary technology that automatically aligns the CT or MRI image to the current ultrasound view. This approach dramatically accelerates workflow and improves the accuracy of image alignment allowing fusion imaging to be seamlessly integrated into existing practice.
A compact, portable imaging solution which delivers exceptional clinical performance across a wide variety of applications is the ACUSON X300™ ultrasound system, premium edition (PE). This fully-featured, comprehensive system incorporates high-end image optimization techniques, enhanced workflow features and Cadence contrast agent imaging technology6 for improved efficiency and diagnostic confidence. Featuring a new 17-inch high-resolution monitor, the ACUSON X300 PE system provides a larger image display without sacrificing image quality.
1 *syngo.via can be used as a standalone device or together with a variety of syngo.via-based software options, which are medical devices in their own rights. The product and the syngo.via-based software options are pending in some countries along with the necessary releases and thus are not yet available for sales in all countries, e.g. Brazil.
2 The Biograph mMR system requires 510(k) review by the FDA and is not commercially available. Due to regulatory reasons its future availability in any country cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens organization for further details.
3 Results may vary. Data on file.
4 Work-in-progress
5 Not commercially available in the United States
6 At the time of publication, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared ultrasound contrast agents only for use in LVO.
The outcomes achieved by the Siemens customers described herein were achieved in the customer’s unique setting. Since there is no “typical” hospital and many variables exist, e.g., hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption, there can be no guarantee that others will achieve the same results.
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 48,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2010 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 12.4 billion euros and profit of around 750 million euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare.
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