December 4, 2007 - Patients treated with Abbott Laboratories Inc.’s experimental drug-coated heart stent had low rates of blood clots, heart attacks and cardiac-related deaths up to two years later, U.S. medical device reviewers said in documents released on Tuesday.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff also said Abbott's Xience device had "favorable" outcomes on a key measure of effectiveness, when compared with Boston Scientific Corp's Taxus stent.

December 3, 2007 - The nation’s food supply is at risk, as are the regulatory systems that oversee the nation’s drug and medical device supplies, according to a subcommittee of the FDA’s Science Board in a report to be presented today.

The subcommittee attributes the deficiencies to soaring demands on the FDA and resources that have not increased in proportion to those demands. They conclude “this imbalance is imposing a significant risk to the integrity of the food, drug, cosmetic and device regulatory system, and hence the safety of the public.”

December 1, 2007 – Emageon Inc. highlighted at RSNA 2007 enhancements to its “vendor neutral” image sharing PACS and announced a new cardiology/radiology workstation will be introduced in 2008.

December 1, 2007 – The Merge Healthcare Teleradiology division of Merge Healthcare earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s (JCAHO) national standard for healthcare quality and safety.

December 1, 2007 – Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals previewed at RSNA 2007 VistaTrak, a password protected contrast media cabinet that tracks media stock using RFID labels.

The cabinet can be interfaced with an electronic medical record (EMR), PACS/RIS and billing system to access patient data. The company’s MAGNEVIST (gadopentetate dimeglumine) contrast agent will be the first product to carry the RFID tag in the VistaTrak cabinet.

The cabinet is also password protected and is only accessible by using either a coded badge or a pin code.

November 30, 2007 - To significantly increase access to acute, primary and preventive healthcare in rural America, the Federal Communications Commission Nov. 19 dedicated more than $417 million for the construction of 69 statewide or regional broadband telehealth networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories under the Rural Health Care Pilot Program (RHCPP).

November 30, 2007 — “CT scans are helping to save countless lives of patients with cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders,” said Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) Vice President Andrew Whitman in an official statement released Nov. 29.

Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals responded to concerns by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) on administering contrast agents by previewing at RSNA 2007 VistaTrak, a password protected contrast media cabinet that tracks media stock using RFID labels.

Siemens Medical Solutions' Artis zeego features a multi-axis C-arm that employs robotic technology to extend imaging capabilities through virtually unrestricted C-arm positioning.

November 28, 2007 - Recent statistical updates are published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery that compare carotid endarterectomy (CEA), lower extremity bypass (LEB) and infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) (both open and endovascular repairs).

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