Probably the biggest trend occurring in cardiovascular ultrasound systems today is the adoption of 3-D/4-D echo systems, which offer the benefits of better images, more data, better measurement quantification and faster workflow. Other key trends include: software to speed workflow with fewer keystrokes and to enhance quantification; miniaturization; increased use of tissue strain imaging, and expanded use for operating room and cath lab procedures.

Replacement strategies for picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) have evolved in consort with advances in medical imaging technologies. Facilities want a new PACS to help improve workflow by streamlining processes, enhance patient care by integrating imaging with other IT systems – such as electronic medical records/electronic health records (EMRs/EHRs) for full patient history information, and achieve a lower total cost of ownership and return on investment than their existing PACS.

Coupling 50 years of experience with the latest radiological imaging technology and treatments, Princeton Radiology is a global leader in the diagnosis, treatment and research of disease. With five offices located across the state of New Jersey, our practice maintains millions of radiological patient records, including 20 years worth of electronic medical records (EMRs). At Princeton Radiology, we are improving patient care and making data easier to share between offices and physicians. Digital images have changed the way our offices operate.

Positron emission mammography (PEM), a high-resolution breast PET scanner, relies on differences in glucose metabolism to identify breast cancers from normal breast cells. Using PEM, we have an opportunity to find cancers at an even earlier stage than that detected with breast MRI, and we may even have the opportunity to find atypia because it changes cellular metabolism prior to the advent of neoangiogenesis. PEM has been shown in recently published prospective data to have similar sensitivity and superior specificity to breast MRI.

Radiation therapy is an important clinical option for the alleviation of pain and suffering for cancer patients and is used for palliative treatments to prevent pathologic bone fractures or tumor-induced obstructions, bleeding and pain that is resistant to other treatments. However, standard palliative radiation therapy treatment techniques often offer poor conformality and expose large volumes of normal tissues to radiation-induced toxicities, causing significant side effects for an already ill patient with a limited life expectancy.

Treatment planning is a critical component of a patient’s road toward an optimal outcome when dealing with cancer. Whether the ultimate goal is palliative or a total cure, treatment planning always aims to provide just enough dose to a targeted area to eradicate the cancer, while sparing nearby tissue or organs.