October 3, 2011 —The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has published guidelines for new applications for echocardiography in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). An expert consensus statement, “Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Practice Guidelines and Recommendations for Training,” has been published in the October 2011 issue of JASE, the ASE’s monthly journal, and is also available online at: www.asecho/guidelines. The document defines the scope and appropriateness of echocardiography in the NICU and defines standards for both the echocardiographic examination and the individuals who perform and interpret these studies.

October 3, 2011 – Up to now, on-the-job hazards for cardiac sonographers were usually limited to overtaxed muscles or incorrect body positioning.  And the profession, with help from equipment manufacturers, has made remarkable progress in identifying and lessening these problems. But now, based on discussions initiated on the American Society of Echocardiography’s (ASE) social media website, [email protected] and results of an ASE survey, there appear to be growing concerns about radiation exposure. As October is Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month, the ASE believes it is appropriate to address this emerging concern for cardiovascular sonographers. Are sonographers getting more radiation on the job than is acceptable for their health?

October 3, 2011 – Cardiac Dimensions Inc. announced it received European CE mark approval for a newly enhanced version of its Carillon Mitral Contour System, a therapy for treating heart failure patients suffering from functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Receipt of the CE mark enables Cardiac Dimensions to initiate a commercial launch of the enhanced device in Europe, which will begin in 2012.

October 3, 2011 – Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the University of Michigan, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School have developed a new tool that can more accurately determine risk of death in patients who have suffered a heart attack. Results of the study could prove life saving for the millions of Americans who suffer heart attacks every year.

September 30, 2011 — Boston Scientific Corp. said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found in favor of the company in a 1998 stent patent infringement suit involving Johnson & Johnson.