West Virginia University Hospitals (WVUH) wanted to acquire new technology to improve workflow and patient care in its busy radiology department. Using the AquilionTM ONE ViSION Edition from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., WVUH has expanded its existing imaging programs for a wide range of patient cases, including brain perfusion, cardiac and orthopedic.

Joined by leaders from Florence and across South Carolina, GE Healthcare today broke ground on a $17 million helium liquefaction facility that will help create 50 jobs for the region. The new, 5,000-square-foot facility, adjacent to GE Healthcare’s existing MR production plant, will use proprietary techniques to capture pure helium gas and compress it into stunningly cold liquid form – which is necessary for MR magnets to function accurately when imaging patients.

MRI may offer a minimally invasive alternative to conventional autopsies, as a combination of MRI scans and other techniques, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests, was found to determine cause of death in fetuses and babies with accuracy nearly on par with standard autopsy, according to a study published online May 16 in The Lancet.

Women’s imaging providers are largely satisfied with their 2D mammography vendors, while at the same time are wrestling with concerns over reimbursement, patient education and state notification bills about breast density, according a report from Orem, Utah-based research firm KLAS.

As organizations continue to debate the optimal recommendations for mammogram screening guidelines, it is easy for certain myths to take root in the public consciousness.

The cancellation rate for MRI-guided breast biopsies due to nonvisualization of suspicious lesions detected with 3T MRI is 13 percent, which is similar to rates reported for lesions detected with 1.0 and 1.5T MRI, according to a study published in the May issue of Academic Radiology.

Diagnosis of perforated appendicitis in children can be made when an abscess is detected with ultrasound, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

GE Healthcare continues to be a leader in dose-reduction features with the announcement that all of its new CT products meet the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) smart dose standard that raises the bar for CT dose management.