The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy took part in a mass casualty drill April 23, 2018, during which the crew simulated computed tomography (CT) scans.

In the first World Championships of Treatment Planning, arranged by radiation oncology analytics company ProKnow and held March 1, 2018, RayStation users scored highest in two out of three planning categories. The categories were proton, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). RayStation users reached five of the ten highest scores, with all submitted plans taken into consideration.

HeartFlow Inc. announced that the National Health Service (NHS) England has chosen the HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve computed tomography) Analysis as part of the Innovation and Technology Payment (ITP) program. The HeartFlow Analysis was chosen as a new technology to be funded by ITP through a competitive process of nearly 300 applicants. It is the only ITP recipient focused on coronary artery disease (CAD), which affects 2.3 million people in the U.K., according to the British Heart Foundation.

Nemours Children’s Health System, a Florida-based health system with locations in six states, is now using in-house medical 3-D printing technology to create surgical models utilizing a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved segmentation software. The software helps surgeons plan complex multidisciplinary cases in interventional radiology, cancer surgery and cardiac surgery. These models serve as a pre-planning blueprint and roadmap for Nemours surgeons and proceduralists, increasing confidence, reducing procedure times and minimizing unexpected findings while in the operating room.

Brainlab announced the implementation of a software solution that can achieve better radiation dose conformity around brain tumors, resulting from a close strategic collaboration with Elekta. Brainlab Elements take advantage of the specific properties of Elekta’s Agility multileaf collimator and compensates for the width of selected leaves, enabling the radiation beam to more accurately conform to the tumor’s shape, thereby minimizing dose to organs at risk.

Radiotherapy given in high doses over a shorter period of time is safe and effective for prostate cancer patients, according to new research. The research was presented at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology conference (ESTRO 37), April 20-24 in Barcelona, Spain.

Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas Inc. introduced the KDR Primary digital radiography (DR) system at the American Association of Orthopedic Executives (AAOE) 2018 annual conference, April 14-17 in Orlando, Fla. Designed to meet the needs of office-based X-ray imaging — such as orthopedic groups, family practices and urgent care centers — KDR Primary delivers advanced digital X-ray capabilities and functionality in a compact footprint. According to Konica Minolta, it is the ideal solution for practices and clinics that want superior image quality and versatile imaging options yet have a limited amount of space.