Siemens Healthcare, a pioneer in ultrasound innovation, has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company’s Virtual Touch imaging ultrasound application – Siemens’ first commercially available implementation of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technology.

GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has agreed to acquire certain Mammography assets of Rayence, a subsidiary of Vatech Co Ltd (KOSDAQ: 043150), a Korean X-Ray manufacturer. The Mammography assets of Rayence will, at closing, become part of the Detection & Guidance Solutions (DGS) business unit of GE Healthcare.

iCAD, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today announced approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of the Company’s SecondLook® mammography computer-aided detection (CAD), on the next generation PowerLook Advanced Mammography Platform (AMP)™, for FujiFilm’s Aspire™ HD Full-Field Digital Mammography System.

Microsoft Research unveiled a prototype touchscreen that may allow physicians to interact with an MR exam in 3D.

As part of a health system comprised of more than 25 health clinics and hospitals, Park Nicollet needed a diagnostic imaging partner that could help deliver quality care across exams and facilities. To meet these needs, Park Nicollet entered into a three-year multimodality agreement with Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. for all of its CT, MR and R&F purchases.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: 2013 Update. The first-ever National Alzheimer's Plan, initially released in May 2012, was mandated by the bipartisan National Alzheimer's Project Act (P.L. 111-375), which Congress passed unanimously in 2010. The 2013 Update includes a new timeline for achieving its first goal – prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025 – and a review of progress over the past year.

San Antonio Community Hospital (Upland, Calif.) installed eight wireless CARESTREAM DRX Systems to deliver instant image access and other capabilities that can enhance patient care at its 279-bed acute care hospital.

Siemens Healthcare and Varian Medical Systems today announced that clinicians at The Ohio State University are now using Varian software to plan and manage radiotherapy treatments delivered on a Siemens medical linear accelerator. The companies have developed and deployed an interface that connects Varian’s ARIA® oncology information system with Siemens’ ONCOR™ and PRIMUS™ accelerators and imaging systems.