A SPECT nuclear scan of the heart to show perfusion defects in the myocardium due to coronary artery blockages or heart attack. The imaging uses the Mo-99 based medical imaging isotope Tc-99m. The U.S. government has created policy to move away from use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) for Mo-99 isotope production, but there is one hold out who has not yet converted before a 2020 deadline. Photo courtesy of Philips Healthcare.

In a surprising move, the National Institute for Radioelements (IRE) has applied for a new license to export highly enriched uranium (HEU) to create medical isotopes. IRE’s current HEU export license with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expires in October 2019. 

The clinical needs of those who live in rural America and small communities are both simple and complex. A physician may have to explain a patient’s back pain; uncover heart disease; or perform advanced surgery. Ultrasound can help do all three.

Beginning with the 2019 meeting, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will begin transforming its annual meeting in several key ways
Greg Freiherr

Beginning with the 2019 meeting, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will begin transforming its annual meeting in several key ways — some obvious, others subtle.

Use of the Internet of Things (IoT) is booming, with IHS Markit forecasting there will be 73 billion connected devices in use around the world by 2025. IoT technology has moved beyond speakers and smart fridges and is increasingly being utilized for critical applications across the healthcare industry like insulin delivery devices, connected inhalers and even cancer treatments.

A notable increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases has led to a surge in sales of high-end diagnostic machines, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, which in turn is fostering demand for MRI-safe pulse oximeters, according to a new market report.

Delaware Imaging Network (DIN), Delaware’s largest network of outpatient medical imaging centers, has added NeuroQuant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) software, to brain imaging studies at all its centers that offer MRI services. NeuroQuant is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared software used in the assessment of neurological conditions.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, in conjunction with researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, have received a Department of Energy grant to solve a production roadblock for the radioactive isotopes 43Sc and 47Sc. These radioactive isotopes of the metallic element scandium (Sc) appear to be ideal for visualizing and then destroying solid tumors. A barrier, however, blocks their use — the inability to rapidly produce and purify the isotopes in useful amounts. 43Sc has a half-life of 3.9 hours, so every four hours more than half the radioactivity is lost. It must be used in a positron emission tomography (PET) scan the same day it is made.

X-ray therapy systems developer Xstrahl announced the launch of the new SARRP (small animal radiation research platform) beamline pre-clinical radiation research and computed tomography (CT) imaging platform. The system was launched at the 2019 International Congress of Radiation Research (ICRR), Aug. 25-29 in Manchester, U.K.

A new 3-D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) computing technique developed by scientists in WMG at the University of Warwick focuses on hierarchical template matching (HTM) to diagnose cardiac disease without the use of gadolinium contrast. The technique is explored in an article in the journal Scientific Reports.

UCHealth Greeley Hospital of Greeley, Colo., recently became the first healthcare facility in the United States to adopt the Mobilett Elara Max mobile X-ray system from Siemens Healthineers. The Mobilett Elara Max enables comprehensive information technology (IT) security as well as secure system integration into the hospital’s IT environment. UCHealth Greeley has installed two Mobilett Elara Max systems: a standard model and a pediatric-friendly version featuring a giraffe design.UCHealth Greeley Hospital of Greeley, Colo., recently became the first healthcare facility in the United States to adopt the Mobilett Elara Max mobile X-ray system from Siemens Healthineers. The Mobilett Elara Max enables comprehensive information technology (IT) security as well as secure system integration into the hospital’s IT environment. UCHealth Greeley has installed two Mobilett Elara Max systems: a standard model and a pediatric-friendly version featuring a giraffe design.

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