“Seeing” Stem Cells Helps in Fight Against Peripheral Arterial Disease

Unique Interventional Radiology Research Puts Puzzle Pieces Together
in Regenerating Blood Vessels to Open Clogged Arteries, Uses
Firefly-like Bioluminescence Imaging Agent

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 10, 2009)—Interventional radiologists are fitting together the puzzle pieces of how to use stem cells to create new or more blood vessels to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in those individuals with extensively narrowed or clogged arteries. That puzzle may be closer to being solved in light of recent successful techniques that use simple imaging to view and locate
transplanted stem cells and to confirm that they remain alive in the body once injected, notes a study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 34th Annual Scientific Meeting.

PAD, which affects about 10 million Americans, is a chronic disease that progressively restricts blood flow causing poor blood circulation (generally in the legs) and if left untreated can lead to serious medical complications, including heart attack, stroke, amputation and death. Many people can manage the
symptoms of PAD and stop its progression through lifestyle changes. If lifestyle changes are not enough, additional medical treatment may be needed, including prescribed medicine to prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and control pain.

source: Socirty of Interventional Radiologists

iCAD Debuts New CT Colon CAD Solution to Aid Radiologists in the Detection of Polyps During Review of Virtual Colonoscopy Exams

iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis and workflow solutions for the early identification of cancer, today announces the debut of its CT colonography (CTC) product at the European Society of Radiology’s annual meeting being held in Vienna, Austria, from March 6-10, 2009.

“iCAD is focused on helping clinicians find the most prevalent cancers by detecting areas of concern, improving workflow and providing early diagnosis for patients worldwide,” said Ken Ferry, President and CEO of iCAD. “We have received great support from U.S. and European radiologists for our Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) products for digital and analog mammography as well as for breast and prostate MRI. This year we are expanding into CTC, also known as virtual colonoscopy, which we expect will have a positive impact on the number of patients undergoing this important diagnostic procedure.”

CTC is an accurate alternative to colonoscopy for polyp detection. Since virtual colonoscopy requires no sedation, people receiving a CTC exam are able to return to their normal activities immediately following the examination. By incorporating CAD with virtual colonoscopy, radiologists have the option of using an image analysis tool that may aid them in detecting early-stage polyps as they are provided a list of CAD marks with potential polyp locations clearly marked for their inspection.

source:iCAD

Immersion Delivers First-Ever Haptic Medical Simulation for New Lung Cancer Diagnostic Procedure

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ:IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, announces a new way to accurately and efficiently train pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons on a breakthrough emerging procedure for diagnosing and staging lung cancer. The maker of the industry’s only haptic-enabled bronchoscopy simulator delivered a new module, Endobronchial Ultrasound with Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). It provides realistic multi-modal (sight, sound, and touch) virtual reality training for this difficult but highly accurate procedure that diagnoses and stages lung cancer, the cause of the most cancer deaths worldwide. It is the first and only haptic-enabled endoscopy simulator designed for EBUS-TBNA.

“This market-first simulation keeps Immersion at the forefront of innovation in highly sophisticated medical training that helps improve the quality of healthcare all over the world,” said Daniel Chavez, senior vice president and general manager of Immersion’s Medical line of business. “By combining realistic touch feedback with our virtual reality environments that provide true-to-life simulation, Immersion is helping more and more doctors become skilled at critical new techniques that can save lives every day.”

source: Immersion Corporation