Nuclear Medicine News and Research

RSS

Nuclear medicine is a branch or specialty of medicine and medical imaging that uses radioactive isotopes (radionuclides) and relies on the process of radioactive decay in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other chemical compounds or pharmaceuticals to form radiopharmaceuticals.

Melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from harmful radiation therapy effects: Research

Tiny, melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from the harmful effects of radiation therapy, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University who successfully tested the strategy in mouse models.

27 Apr 2010

SNM continues to stress the need for Congress to implement long-term fix

On April 16, the President signed a bill granting temporary relief from looming cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Although a positive step, the medical community-along with millions of patients-continues to face significant threats to medical coverage for critical diagnostic imaging tests and therapeutics.

17 Apr 2010

Endra Life Sciences launches Nexus 128 preclinical photoacoustic CT scanner

Endra Life Sciences today announced the launch of the Nexus 128, a preclinical photoacoustic computed tomography (CT) scanner for small animal imaging. The system is used for simple, fast, non-invasive quantification of tumor vasculature and other physiological parameters for preclinical research.

16 Apr 2010

RadNet acquires Truxtun Medical Group

RadNet, Inc., a national leader in providing high-quality, cost-effective, fixed-site outpatient diagnostic imaging services through a network of 185 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers, today reported it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Truxtun Medical Group.

16 Apr 2010

Comparing effectiveness of PET and other molecular imaging techniques: SNM receives $48,000 AHRQ grant

SNM has been awarded a $48,000 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to hold a conference to develop research on the comparative effectiveness of positron emission tomography (PET) and other molecular imaging techniques. The primary emphasis will be on the diagnosis and management of cancer patients, but both cardiology and neurology questions will also be addressed.

15 Apr 2010

Carestream Molecular Imaging, OncoVision sign exclusive agreement for Albira PET/SPECT/CT imaging system

Carestream Molecular Imaging, a division of Carestream Health, Inc., has signed an exclusive, multi-year worldwide agreement with OncoVision (Valencia, Spain), to sell, market and service the Albira PET/SPECT/CT imaging system for small animal research. With the addition of this innovative, multimodal imaging system, Carestream Molecular Imaging will offer the broadest portfolio of pre-clinical in vivo imaging modalities in the market.

12 Apr 2010

CoreLab Partners' new logo and brand identity launched

CoreLab Partners, Inc, the recently established global entity resulting from the merger between RadPharm and Medifacts International, has launched a new brand identity to reinforce their capabilities as one of the largest imaging sciences and cardiac safety core labs in the market today.

12 Apr 2010

Interactive workshop focuses on standardization to improve value and practicality of imaging biomarkers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, SNM and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) are hosting a joint two-topic workshop, April 13-14, 2010 at the Natcher Conference Center of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. The first day of the workshop will focus on general issues of standardization to control variability and inconsistency in methods of acquisition, interpretation and analysis of images in clinical trials.

2 Apr 2010

Study shows imaging technique useful for planning cardiac procedures

For a patient with heart failure, checking whether the heart could benefit from bypass surgery or a stent is critical to ensuring survival. One imaging technique, positron emission tomography (PET) with the imaging agent fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), may provide doctors with the information they need to make more informed treatment decisions, according to research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM).

2 Apr 2010

Providing direct access to imaging test results may improve patient satisfaction, but increase anxiety as well

Providing patients with direct access to their imaging test results could improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. However, physicians are concerned that it could lead to increased patient anxiety and unrealistic demands on physician time, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (www.jacr.org).

1 Apr 2010

Early use of CT and MRI scans may reduce duration of hospital stay and hospitalization costs

Advanced imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might shorten the length of a person's hospital stay and decrease the high costs associated with hospitalization if used early, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (www.jacr.org).

1 Apr 2010

Managing Technetium-99m shortage: MedSolutions provides advisory

MedSolutions, a leading provider of medical management services, has provided an advisory for payors and providers on options regarding the shortage of Technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a radioactive tracer isotope that is widely-used in nuclear medicine studies.

27 Mar 2010

Eli Lilly supports SNM's initiative to advance innovative therapies

SNM is pleased to announce that biopharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company, has joined SNM's Clinical Trials Network-making it the third major company to formally support this initiative to facilitate the development of promising therapeutic medicines.

26 Mar 2010

New provision in health care bill ensures physicians’ participation in PQRI program

A provision in the health care reform measure passed by the House of Representatives Sunday and signed into law today by President Barack Obama includes participation in the American Board of Medical Specialties Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®) as an option for the nation’s physicians to fulfill requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI

24 Mar 2010

Global halt on Molybdenum-99 production: Discussion of implications

Discuss the severe Tc-99m shortage that will occur over a two-week period when cancer, heart and brain disease patients will experience delayed imaging tests because of a worldwide halt on Molybdenum-99 production

19 Mar 2010

Lantheus Medical Imaging announces preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI agent

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, today announced preliminary data on flurpiridaz F 18 (formerly known as BMS747158), its novel compound in development as a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) agent. The study of nine patients compared rest-stress flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI, with rest-stress technetium-99m (Tc-99m) labeled single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for the detection and evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD).

16 Mar 2010

RadNet's 2009 fourth-quarter revenue up 3.4%

RadNet, Inc., a national leader in providing high-quality, cost-effective, fixed-site outpatient diagnostic imaging services through a network of 180 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers, today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

15 Mar 2010

ACC.10: AMICAS to highlight cardiology and enterprise IT solutions

AMICAS, Inc., a leader in image and information management solutions, announced today at the 59th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC.10), that the company has signed contracts for more than 90 clinical knowledge bases for Web-based structured reporting for cardiology.

15 Mar 2010

Covidien to use FDA, Health Canada approved Mo 99 from Maria for manufacturing Tc 99m generators

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada have approved the use of the Maria Research Reactor (Maria) in Poland as a site to irradiate highly-enriched uranium targets for Molybdenum 99 (Mo 99) production. Covidien will use the Mo 99 obtained from Maria in the manufacture of its Technetium 99m (Tc 99m) generators. Patients should begin to benefit from Maria-produced Mo 99 in the United States and Canada later this month.

12 Mar 2010

Primordial, Charlotte Radiology announce partnership

Primordial, a leading vendor of communications, workflow, quality management and analytics applications for the medical imaging market, and Charlotte Radiology, one of the largest radiology groups in the United States, announced today a partnership to deploy and further develop Primordial’s applications for use by Charlotte Radiology physicians across numerous hospitals and imaging centers.

11 Mar 2010