CT News and Research

RSS

Aetna enters agreement to acquire account-based health plan administrator, PayFlex

Aetna today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire PayFlex Holdings, Inc., one of the nation's largest independent account-based health plan administrators, with approximately 1 million accounts and approximately 3,300 direct employer customers.

18 Jul 2011

Coronary CTA non-invasive and safe for children

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) has excellent image quality and diagnostic confidence for the entire spectrum of pediatric patients, with significant reduction of risk with recent technological advancements, according to a study to be presented at the Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) in Denver, July 14-17.

18 Jul 2011

Six UC institutions to improve hospital care

A key component of health care reform involves the improvement of quality, access and value when delivering health services, particularly for patients admitted to a hospital. To help meet these needs, the University of California established the Center for Health Quality and Innovation, which provides financial support for health quality initiatives across the UC health system.

16 Jul 2011

Iranian team demonstrates how rapid prototyping can be used in dentistry

Researchers in Iran explain how medical imaging coupled with computer-aided design could be used to create a perfect-fit blueprint for prosthetic dentistry, whether to replace diseased or broken teeth and jaw bone.

15 Jul 2011

Rcadia reports promising results from calcium scoring cCTA trial

Rcadia Medical Imaging has achieved proof-of-concept with the first fully automated software that performs calcium scoring directly from a coronary CT angiography (cCTA) study.

15 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Teaching hospital cuts; Medicare & debt deal politics; end-of-life care

Teaching hospitals educate the next generation of physicians—who are clearly essential for our future. But the importance of academic medical centers and teaching hospitals goes far beyond delivering care.

15 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Prominent Republicans against IPAB; docs defend health law; medical marijuana research

The IPAB has created "immediate uncertainty at hand," says Scott & White Healthcare in central Texas, for their 12 hospitals and more than 800 physicians. Many more organizations and associations have expressed similar concerns and urged me to do what I can to repeal this ill-conceived bureaucratic board. That's why I have introduced the Health Care Bureaucrats Elimination Act, and why I'm testifying Wednesday on the other side of the Capitol to build support in the House.

14 Jul 2011

New animal model for studying development of testicular germ cell tumors

A team of researchers from Spain and Switzerland have developed a new model for studying the development of testicular germ cell tumors by transplanting embryonic stem cells into the seminiferous tubules in mouse models, resulting in the development of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) that mimic the early stages of TGCT development.

12 Jul 2011

Two papers highlight therapeutic potential of human Sertoli cells

Two papers published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/ct/, highlight the therapeutic potential of human Sertoli cells that are present in the testes and are also called "nurse" or "mother" cells because they nurture the developing sperm cells.

12 Jul 2011

Battle lines drawn in the CT dose reduction arena

Over the past ten years, Computed Tomography (CT) vendors have been in a fierce race to capitalise on the trend for multi-slice CT equipment. However, in the last three years, increasing concerns over radiation exposure from CT examinations have driven a focus on dose-reduction, and CT product development has followed suit. As battle lines are drawn in the dose-reduction arena, InMedica (www.in-medica.com) analyses the competition for CT slices in its new report “The World Market for CT and PET-CT Equipment.” Importantly, what will this mean for dose-reduction?

12 Jul 2011

Toshiba receives FDA approval for new MR software upgrade

To streamline diagnosis and enable greater overall exam efficiency, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has announced FDA approval of VirtualExplorer Version 3.1, a software upgrade package for Toshiba MR VirtualExplorer workstations.

11 Jul 2011

Covidien to support NOTES human trial on transoral, transvaginal cholecystectomies

The Natural Orifice Surgery Consortium for Assessment and Research- (NOSCAR-), a joint effort of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, is pleased to announce a grant from Covidien to support the U.S. multicenter human trial on transoral and transvaginal cholecystectomies using Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery.

11 Jul 2011

Arthroscopy restores range of motion in patients with common hip problem

Arthroscopic treatment of a common hip problem that leads to arthritis is successful in terms of restoring range of motion, according to results from a recent Hospital for Special Surgery study.

11 Jul 2011

Roundup: Ineffective malpractice suits; Medicare hospital funding error; D.C. abortion report

A study published today in the journal Health Affairs looked at the outcomes of 3,695 malpractice claims filed in Massachusetts courts against hospitals, doctors, and other medical providers between 2006 and 2010.

8 Jul 2011

ThromboView gets positive results in study evaluating accuracy and safety

Drug and diagnostic company Agenix Limited (ASX: AGX), today announced the positive results of a study to evaluate the efficacy and accuracy

7 Jul 2011

Tips to help children and teens prepare for games in extreme heat

While many of us are at the shore or in an air conditioned buildings, the student athletes that make us proud throughout the year may be sweating it out on the field this summer.

6 Jul 2011

PET imaging technique may identify TKI-responsive lung cancer

A non-invasive PET imaging technique may identify lung cancers that respond best to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), allowing doctors to better select patients for personalized therapy, according to research presented at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Amsterdam, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

5 Jul 2011

LuCED test can improve utility of low-dose CT screening for early lung cancer detection

VisionGate, Inc., a company developing a revolutionary non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer, today announced that it will present data showing how adjunctive use of its LuCED- test can improve the utility of low dose x-ray computed tomography (CT) screening for the early detection of lung cancer in high risk individuals.

4 Jul 2011

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer welcomes publication of NLST results

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) today welcomed the publication of positive results of the National Lung Screening Trial.

2 Jul 2011

Senate to keep working next week on debt talks

The Senate abandoned plans for a July 4 break as time dwindled for lawmakers to strike a compromise on avoiding a government default and reducing mammoth federal deficits. In a challenge to President Barack Obama, the chamber's top Republican invited him to the Capitol to discuss the impasse with GOP lawmakers.

2 Jul 2011