With higher deductibles and more price-conscious healthcare consumers, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, improving the performance, comfort and speed of MRI scans can be an important strategy for imaging centers that must compete by offering the best patient care and experience.

COR Medical Technologies (COR) announced that Gregg W. Stone, M.D. has been appointed to its Senior Editorial Board.

For the first time, cardiac catheterization laboratory stakeholders now have quality metrics that confirm the value of Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) accreditation. Three new studies validating the benefits of ACE accreditation were presented during the 2015 Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Scientific Sessions in San Diego, California, May 6-9.

A key trial evaluating the Boston Scientific Eluvia drug-eluting vascular stent system met its primary endpoint, with more than 94 percent of the lesions treated for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remaining open at nine months post implantation. This was accompanied by a target lesion revascularization rate (TLR) of less than four percent.

An example of flexible electronics made by MC10. These types of wearable devices may soon be used to remotely monitor patients.
The method used to create a "heart on a chip" that can be used to test drugs on human heart myocytes. These chips can be used in early pre-clinical testing to show a clear benefit in human heart tissue prior to spending millions in animal testing and first in man studies. heart on a chip, organs on a chip
Big data, showing correlation between a CDC study on cardiovascular disease and a study conducted based on hostility in Twitter tweets. This demonstrates how big data from social media might be used to in new ways to evaluate population health. population health, big data
A heart valve 3-D printed using biocompatible materials. This technology may be used in the near future to print exactly sized, customized valves or blood vessels on demand for patients using CT scan datasets and advanced visualization software. 3D printing, 3-D printing

Several futuristic technologies and their potential impact on healthcare were discussed during the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine track sessions at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2015 annual meeting. Among these were use of big data, the integration of smartphones and wearable devices into patient care, robots in the cath lab, 3-D printing and how technology will help lower the cost of clinical trials for drugs and devices and speed their introduction to market.  
The Medicines Company, cangrelor, FDA advisory committee, approval

The Medicines Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee (CRDAC) voted 9 - 2 with one abstention to recommend approval of the investigational intravenous antiplatelet agent cangrelor as an adjunct to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Cangrelor is indicated for reducing the risk of periprocedural thrombotic events such as myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST) and ischemia-driven revascularization.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) are offering a new resource document for physicians and medical physicists serving as radiation safety officers at medical facilities. The ACR-AAPM Radiation Safety Officer Resources was developed jointly by medical physicists from both associations.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins performing sophisticated motion studies of heart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans have found that specific altered function in the left atrium may signal stroke risk in those with atrial fibrillation and those without it.

Subscribe to
© Copyright Wainscot Media. All Rights Reserved.
Subscribe Now