Medical Imaging - Technological Innovations in the Medical Field Make Devices Smaller, More Portable

Significant changes are emerging in the medicalbecome more prominent. Mobile imaging systems
imaging industry with innovations that move awayalso will give first responders, the military, and
from expensive, large, stationary, and complexothers access to the technology, especially in
systems to smaller, easier to use, and moreremote areas where large, stationary devices are
accessible devices. Technological advances meanimpractical. They will greatly improve survival
imaging capabilities will no longer be confined justrates in circumstances such as a stroke, when
to large hospitals and institutions. Rather, they willthere is a small window in which to diagnose and
begin showing up increasingly in small hospitals,treat a patient.
physicians' offices, and on wheels outside medicalIn fact, the medical imaging industry already is
settings.manufacturing smaller, portable units that are user
Newer imaging technologies focus on combiningfriendly and provide highly accurate diagnosis with
ease-of-use with higher levels of accuracy,little patient discomfort. The newer designs are
allowing information to be accessed efficiently,more cost effective by allowing for quicker more
while providing higher throughput. These newaccurate diagnosis and allow for use over a
solutions are cost effective and can be used in avariety of applications.
variety of clinical applications.Future innovations will see the technology get
Of the systems entering the market, many offerincreasingly smaller as hand-held devices used for
systems that do not require specialized training.screening and diagnosis become more prevalent.
For example, GE Healthcare's CardIQ FunctionThese small imaging devices will allow access to
Xpress contains a fully integrated post-processingmore people no matter where they are which will
and analysis tool tailored specifically for cardiacallow the medical community to quickly diagnose
use. Boston Scientific received 510K approval forand treat a problem.
its iLAB Ultrasound Imaging System, which has anThe University of California, Berkeley, is currently
easy-to-upgrade platform that promotes theworking on cell phone that could one day be used
advancement of innovative technologies.to make medical imaging accessible to billions of
Facilitating Information Sharingpeople around the world. The phone would be
Digital imaging has made it possible to sharehooked up to the data acquisition device then
information with multiple team members viatransmit the raw data to a central server where
wireless communication. The iMRIsneuro, ownedthe information would be used to create an
by the University of Virginia Health System, is aimage. The server would then relay the image
multifunctional, moveable, high-field MRI that allowsback to the cell phone, where it can be viewed on
a medical team to scan, review, and sharethe cell phone's screen. This will significantly lower
information during a surgical procedure.the cost of medical imaging because the
Digital imaging also allows for the integration ofapparatus is at the patient site and the technology
intraoperative procedures with imaging guidedgreatly simplified. There is no need for personnel
surgery to provide real-time data. This reduceshighly trained in imaging processing.
surgical time, increases efficiency, and helpsHybrid Imaging Combines Methods
medical facilities recover their investments moreThe use of hybrid imaging methods over
quickly because they can schedule more patientsingle-method scan also will increase steadily over
scans per day.time, especially in the field of oncology. Image
Portability also is emerging as a standardfusion in particular is increasingly useful in merging
component of medical imaging systems madetwo or more different images to create one
with lighter materials to allow for transport to"fused" image. Studies have found that hybrid
multiple sites. The majority of new FDA 510Ksystems were able to detect the presence of
approvals for imaging systems feature designscancer better than single systems allowing for
that allow for portability. For example, Digiradearly treatment.
Corporation's XPO System can be configured orPhilips currently markets the Precedence SPECT
fixed for mobile operation and services manyCT system, a hybrid system that allows
different sites. Mobile imaging services currentlyphysicians to perform SPECT and CT scans
comprise 70 percent of Digirad's annual revenue.simultaneously. It then fuses images from the
Other companies investing in the development oftwo scans, providing physicians with crucial
mobile imaging technologies include Toshiba, GEinformation about metabolism and structure. Philips
Healthcare, Siemens, and Teratech. There is aalso developed Syntegra, a multi-modality
trend emerging in Europe in which systems aresoftware that automatically superimposes
using higher slice configurations. Both Toshiba andphysiologic data (such as PET) with anatomic data
Philips market systems that use 256-slice(CT or MR). The real-time data aids in the
configurations in cardiology imaging that result in aidentification of tumors, shortens the radiation
256 mm coverage area. A 256-slice CT, fortherapy planning cycles, and results in more
example, can perform a full bank of five keyconfident diagnoses.
diagnostic tests on the heart or tests in the brainThe use of hybrid technology will continue to
thereby exposing the patient to far less radiation.emerge as the combination of imaging methods
This equates to as little as one-eighth to one-thirdproves to be more effective in diagnosing
of the dose required in testing with the 64-sliceproblems over singular imaging methods. Fusion of
scanner.multiple image data from multiple systems will be
Innovation Trendsused to recreate accurate anatomical structures.
Medical imaging systems will continue to getWith the market forecast to increase by 6
smaller and more mobile, and in the foreseeablepercent annually through 2010, innovative designs
future, hand-held imaging devices are likely towill continue to keep competitors on their toes.