Cardiac ultrasound technology has advanced to keep up with several trends. These include improved workflow for greater efficiency, expanded use of qualification metrics, expanded use of 3-D echo to speed exam times and improve operator reproducibility, and expanded use of 3-D transesophageal echo (TEE) to aid guidance in the growing area of transcatheter structural heart procedures. Here are a few examples of how the newest technology is addressing these trends.

May 6, 2014 — Medtronic announced the first U.S. implant of the Evera MRI SureScan implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) system, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its investigational device exemption (IDE) application and pivotal clinical trial protocol.


May 6, 2014 — Google Glass and its potential to improve patient care will be the focus of a first-of-its-kind special session at the 2014 Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) scientific sessions in Las Vegas.
Medtronic, Reveal, Linq, implantable cardiac monitor, ICM
McKesson, ECG, mobile ECG app
Preventice, BodyGuardian
Alivecor, ECG, smartphone patient monitoring

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting is a key event where vendors launch new cardiology technologies. After walking the entire expo floor at ACC.14, these are my choices for some of the most innovative new technologies that were on display.

May 6, 2014 — Siemens Healthcare announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Artis one angiography system, optimized for broad clinical utilization. The Artis one is designed for routine interventions, including revascularizations of peripheral vessel occlusions, functional tests of dialysis shunts in patients with kidney failure, diagnostic or minimally invasive angiographic treatment of narrowed coronary arteries, and pacemaker implantations.

As an editor attending clinical symposiums and always on the lookout for new trends in technology, I sometimes find myself wondering if what I see is actually the reality on the ground for most clinicians. A recent example of this has been the implementation and use of clinical decision support (CDS) software to ensure physicians are following appropriate use criteria (AUC).

The fine print in the new Medicare legislation now mandates the use of CDS software to show tests and procedures ordered meet AUC set by medical societies in order to get full Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement.

May 6, 2014 — The National Lipid Association (NLA) recently convened an expert panel to examine various aspects of statin safety and statin tolerance. Results of the symposium findings are published this month in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, addressing six specific statin-related safety issues including the effects of statins on cognition, diabetes risk, liver function, muscle symptoms and interactions with other drugs, and statin intolerance.
E-health Mobile Devices Apps Cardiac Diagnostics Australia Cardiology Monitoring

Studies presented at the World Heart Federation’s World Congress of Cardiology on May 5, 2014 showcased new research on best practices in the design and development of healthcare mobile applications, in order to optimize usability and maximize impact in different populations across the world.
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