Image Gallery From the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology 2019 Meeting

Rupa Sanghani, M.D., FASNC, associate professor, Rush Medical College, director of nuclear cardiology and stress laboratory, Rush University Medical Center, and associate director, Rush Heart Center for Women, explains how to create a high-volume cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) imaging program. She spoke on this topic at the 2019 meeting of the American Society Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) and led a tour with attendees of the PET-CT system at Rush, which was located close to the conference. Watch an interview with her in the VIDEO: Practical Considerations for Starting a Cardiac PET-CT Program.

Clyde Yancy, M.D., MSc, cardiology chief and vice dean for diversity and inclusion at Northwestern University, was a keynote speaker at the 2019 ASNC annual meeting. He said the traditional biases of seeing a patient and automatically making clinical assumptions because they are a certain race or gender are obsolete. Genetics, especially with racial intermarriage over the past several generations, no longer predisposes patients to what is typically assumed for certain ethnic or racial backgrounds. VIDEO: New Ideas in Addressing Cardiovascular Disease Disparities.

Clyde Yancy, M.D., MSc, cardiology chief and vice dean for diversity and inclusion at Northwestern University, was a keynote speaker at the 2019 ASNC annual meeting. He said the traditional biases of seeing a patient and automatically making clinical assumptions because they are a certain race or gender are obsolete. Genetics, especially with racial intermarriage over the past several generations, no longer predisposes patients to what is typically assumed for certain ethnic or racial backgrounds. VIDEO: New Ideas in Addressing Cardiovascular Disease Disparities.

This is 4MD’s cardiac nuclear imaging analysis software, shown here integrated with a ScImage cardiovascular information system (CVIS). Both companies displayed on the expo floor at ASNC 2019. The software creates a single page report seen here.

This is the dedicate cardiac SPECT CorCam nuclear imaging system offered by Universal Medical displayed at the 2019 ASNC meeting. The FDA-cleared system has 2 fixed 90 degree gamma cameras.

This is the dedicate cardiac SPECT CorCam nuclear imaging system offered by Universal Medical displayed at the 2019 ASNC meeting. The FDA-cleared system has 2 fixed 90 degree gamma cameras.

Being able to access medical imaging at any time, anywhere using an secure web connection was demonstrated by MIM Software on the expo floor. The MIM Zero Footprint Viewer was the first FDA cleared viewer for diagnostic use. This example shows how a PET-CT study can be sent to a tablet device using a URL link.

John J. Mahmarian, M.D., professor of cardiology, Institute for Academic Medicine, Houston Methodist, was a keynote speaker at the American Society Of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) 2019 meeting. He spoke about the advances in cardiac CT and the threat to nuclear PET and SPECT imaging. While CT can perform perfusion and FFR-CT exams, he said nuclear offers advantages in perfusion imaging and CT still has several limitations on its perfusion abilities. While CT has come a long way, he said the modalities are still complementary and CT perfusion is not yet entering the mainstream to replace nuclear perfusion. Mahmarian also noted the new uses of nuclear imaging for things like cardiac sarcoidosis imaging and the additional information provided by PET coronary flow reserve. He presented this as part of the Mario Verani Lecturer. Verani was a mentor and close friend of John’s and he cried while speaking about him at the end of the lecture. The response was met with an extended, standing ovation.

DAIC Editor Dave Fornell covering the ASNC meeting.

Rami Doukky, M.D., FASNC, professor of medicine, preventive medicine and radiology, and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Cook County Health and Hospitals System, with DAIC Editor Dave Fornell at 2019 ASNC meeting. Doukky speaking in several sessions on the value of PET imaging. Here is an interview with Doukky about the 2018 ASNC meeting.

Siemens Healthcare displayed scale models of its Biograph Horizon PET-CT system and its Symbia Intevo Bold SPECT-CT system. The Biograph was also highlighted on an ASNC tour of the new PET-CT system installed at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. Here is info on the Biography system. Here is info on the Symbia system.

Robert Quaife, M.D., director of advanced cardiac imaging, University of Colorado Hospital, with DAIC Editor Dave Fornell at ASNC 2019. Watch an interview with Quaife in the VIDEO: The Role of Advanced Imaging in Structural Heart Interventions.

Cardiac amyloidosis imaging is among the trends at ASNC 2019. Jamieson Bourque, M.D., medical director of nuclear cardiology at the University of Virginia, and Sharmila Dorbala, M.D., director of nuclear cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, moderate a session on cardiac amyloidosis nuclear scans. They were writing chairs for the recommendations for multimodality imaging in cardiac amyloidosis, released in early September 2019. Bourque wrote this recent article on Nuclear Scintigraphy for Cardiac Amyloidosis Assessment in Current Clinical Practice.

Siemens Healthcare displayed scale models of its Biograph Horizon PET-CT system and its Symbia Intevo Bold SPECT-CT system. The Biograph was also highlighted on an ASNC tour of the new PET-CT system installed at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. Here is info on the Biography system. Here is info on the Symbia system.

Ron Blankstein, M.D., (right) director of cardiac computed tomography, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and associate professor of medicine and radiology, Harvard Medical School, and current SCCT president, ran into DAIC Editor Dave Fornell at ASNC 2019. There are a good number of cross over members between the Society Of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and the ASNC, many who are in charge of imaging departments with both modalities. Watch an interview with Blankstein in the VIDEO: Overview of Cardiac CT Trends and 2019 SCCT Meeting Highlights.

PET perfusion performed on the MIM Software application. The company also showed how exams can be sent anywhere using a secure web connection. The MIM Zero Footprint Viewer was the first FDA cleared viewer for diagnostic use. This example shows how a PET-CT study can be sent to a tablet device using a URL link.

The Philips CardioMD IV SPECT system on display at ASNC 2019. It is the latest generation of this workhorse imaging system from Philips, now equipped with new cyber security features, encryption and Windows 10. It uses conventional photomultipliers that are in a square configuration to fit together better and enhance image uniformity and resolution. Read more about this system.

An example of a cardiac perfusion scan from the Philips CardioMD IV SPECT system on display at ASNC 2019. It is the latest generation of this workhorse imaging system from Philips, now equipped with new cyber security features, encryption and Windows 10. It uses conventional photomultipliers that are in a square configuration to fit together better and enhance image uniformity and resolution. Read more about this system.

Rob Beanlands, M.D., FASNC, 2019 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) president, shares a couple trends he sees in cardiac nuclear imaging. He is the Vered Chair and division head of cardiology and director of the National Cardiac PET Centre at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada. Watch an interview with him in the VIDEO: Better Flow Quantification and Rise of PET Among Trends in Cardiac Nuclear Imaging.

Several sessions at ASNC 2019 focused on the use of cardiac PET imaging. KOLs from several hospitals explained how they created their programs and what to consider when starting a new PET program. Rush University Medical Center also led tours of their site in Chicago.

A view of the new dedicated cardiac PET-CT system installed at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The control room has a video monitor to see the patient's head and the radiotracer infusion system on the other side of the scanner. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

The control room of the dedicated cardiac PET-CT system at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has a video monitor to see the patient's head and the radiotracer infusion system on the other side of the scanner. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

A view of the new dedicated cardiac PET-CT system installed at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

An example of a cardiac perfusion exam from Rush's dedicated PET-CT system.

Robert Hendel, M.D., MASNC, chief of the section of cardiology and director of the Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute, was involved with a session on new radio tracers for cardiology. Her is a VIDEO interview with him.

An example of a cardiac PET-CT fusion image from the new dedicated cardiac PET-CT system installed at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

An example of a patient ECG during a cardiac perfusion exam on Rush's dedicated PET-CT system.

The "hot" bathroom for use by patients injected with radiotracers located in the cardiac nuclear imaging area at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

A directional sign in the hall for nuclear imaging at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Attendees had a chance to visit Rush on a special tour during ASNC 2019.

The booth for the pharmacological stress agent regadenoson, which is used in PET cardiac stress exams and in SPECT for patients who cannot tolerate exercise stress.nuclear

Former ACC president and former American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) president Kim A. Williams. M.D., cardiology division chief and James B. Herrick professor at Rush University Medical Center, and DAIC Editor Dave Fornell. Here is a VIDEO interview with him on the importance of nuclear cardiology in preventive medicine.

One of the newer technologies discussed in sessions at ASNC 2019 is the use of quantitative myocardial perfusion (QMP) flow reserve to enhance PET imaging. This is an example of software to perform this from the vendor Cardiovascular Imaging Technologies on the expo floor. Flow reserve can help show the severity of the ischemia detected on a PET scan and help show its cause and course of therapy. It takes the stress QMP divided by the rest scan QMP to offer a ratio for the flow reserve.

NorthStar Radioisotopes on the expo floor of the 2019 ASNC meeting. The Beloit, Wis., Based company was the first domestic supplier approved by the FDA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to produce Mo-99/Tc99m using a unique system that uses low enriched uranium (LEU) instead of the traditional highly enriched uranium (HEU). Due to concerns over nuclear nonproliferation, the U.S. government is phasing out international shipments of HEU starting in 2020. One isotope company has not converted to LEU use and asked for an extension, which NorthStar recently filed a protest against. Read the article.

NorthStar Radioisotopes on the expo floor of the 2019 ASNC meeting. The Beloit, Wis., Based company was the first domestic supplier approved by the FDA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to produce Mo-99/Tc99m using a unique system that uses low enriched uranium (LEU) instead of the traditional highly enriched uranium (HEU). Due to concerns over nuclear nonproliferation, the U.S. government is phasing out international shipments of HEU starting in 2020. One isotope company has not converted to LEU use and asked for an extension, which NorthStar recently filed a protest against. Read the article.

The nuclear imaging reading room at Rush University Medical Center, which ran a tour of its new PET-CT system as part of ASNC 2019.