Category: RadParts

An anti-amyloid antibody drug that reduces amyloid beta proteins in the brain has provided a novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. This innovative brain imaging solution for Alzheimer’s disease management can analyze Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA), a known side-effect in patients using the anti-amyloid drug. Previously, careful monitoring and management of ARIA was crucial due to the drug’s side effects. 

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, Neurophet, specializes in brain diseases. Neurophet has created a new technology that examines ARIA-E (edema), generally detected by T2-FLAIR, and MRI sequence, along with ARIA-H (hemorrhages), mostly recognized by GRE or SWI. To properly observe cortical amyloid beta deposition, an amyloid-PET scan is essential. The AI technology developed by Neurophet predicts amyloid positivity through Magnetic Resonance (MR) images before conducting amyloid-PET scans. Since amyloid-PET scans are expensive and their use and recompense are severely restricted, the use of MR images for predicting amyloid positivity could offer a cost-effective solution in regards to clinical trials and prognosis of Alzheimer’s. Neurophet set the stage at the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) with its cutting-edge brain imaging analysis technology, which can be used in both clinical trials and Alzheimer’s disease drug prescriptions. AQUA software, a brain MRI analysis tool, examines brain atrophy observed in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s by measuring cortical amyloid beta deposition, a known causative agent of the disease. Neurophet hopes to bring the products to market side-by-side with new Alzheimer’s disease treatments. The company has invested in research and development focused on ARIA side effects. Jake Junkil Been, CEO of Neurophet, said, “Neurophet’s major products and technologies are expected to be very useful in the process of clinical trials, diagnosis, side effect monitoring, and prognosis observation of Alzheimer’s disease treatment. We are going all out to develop solutions related to Alzheimer’s disease treatment to preemptively target the high-growth Alzheimer’s disease treatment market.” ______________RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Cutting-edge technology and nuclear medicine are massively improving prostate cancer treatments, especially over the past two decades. Before 2000, prostate cancer was detected through manual palpation, a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test, and an ultrasound. Notably, prostate cancer is not visible in ultrasounds, so urologists would have to sample random prostate areas to discover the cancer. 

In the early 2000s, prostate MRI emerged and progressed through the 2010s. This technology allowed radiologists to discover whether prostate tumors were present. 

Brett Mollard, MD, a diagnostic radiologist in Michigan, said, “They could now see and target the tumors rather than randomly sampling the prostate and hoping to biopsy the tumor. We’re actively witnessing a second revolution thanks to new imaging agents, known as radiotracers or radiopharmaceuticals, for PET.”

In 2012, Positron Emission Technology (PET) radiotracers received approval, with better ones emerging in 2016. In 2021, Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) was introduced, which helped to diagnose with lightning speed compared to previous methods. 

Andres Correa, MD, assistant professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said, “While MRI has significantly reduced the rate of negative biopsies and the diagnosis of low-risk prostate cancer, the imaging modality remains limited. Up to 50 percent of patients with prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 4 and 25 percent of patients with PI-RADS 5 will have benign findings on targeted biopsy. I believe that the incorporation of PSMA agents into MRI screening will allow us to better define patients who need a prostate biopsy and further reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies.” 

Avenda Health’s new AI-backed prostate cancer technology, cleared by the FDA, is emerging in Los Angeles with promising results. Using machine learning, the Unfold AI platform gives physicians the most accurate picture of prostate cancer to date. 

Wayne Brisbane, MD, assistant professor of urology at UCLA Health, said, “With a wide breadth of ablative options available, Unfold AI represents the first technology to improve tumor localization and patient selection. I am hopeful that Unfold AI will be intraprostatic staging what prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT has been for extraprostatic staging. Additionally, there are potential applications for surgery, radiation therapy, and patient decision-making.”

Mollard said, “Prostate cancer treatment is already at a great place, especially for local and regional disease, where five-year survival rates are already over 98 percent. Over the next 10 years, I think the focus will remain on earlier and more accurate diagnosis/detection and discovering new drugs to treat metastatic prostate cancer.”  

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RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) recently released a Statement on Screening for Breast Cancer, sparked by new recommendations from the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The ACR and Society of Breast Imaging recommend an annual mammography screening starting at age 40, but in updated guidelines, the ACR lowered its recommended age to 25. 

Stamatia V. Destounis, MD, chair of the ACR Breast Commission and a member of the RSNA Public Information Advisors Network, said, “The ACR recommends that the patient at average risk for breast cancer gets screened with mammography starting at age 40 and yearly thereafter with no upward limit, as age should not be a factor of when a patient stops screening instead of their overall health and other comorbidities. The ACR guidelines speak specifically for the high-risk patient because of family history of breast cancer, and or dense breast tissue as these are groups that the USPSTF fails to recommend any supplemental screening.” 

The USPSTF recently released a statement suggesting biennial mammography screenings for women ages 40 to 74. The recommendation states that the “current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women aged 75 years of age or older.” Public comments on the statement are being accepted until June 6, 2023. 

Dr. Destounis said, “The new Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines from USPSTF do not go far enough in their recommendation for breast cancer screening. Black women are 42 percent more likely to die of breast cancer in comparison to white women and the USPSTF guidelines could exacerbate the disparities by allowing cancers in those high-risk women another year to advance.”

Breast cancer screening targets small cancers in their early stages before it’s symptomatic or significantly spread throughout the body. According to 2015 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, the breast cancer death rate in the United States (which remained unchanged for the previous 50 years) has decreased by 43 percent due to early mammography screening. 

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RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

For the first time, researchers at the University of Michigan developed a way to measure radiation during cancer treatment using precise 3D imaging. 

Medical professionals could map the radiation dose by capturing and magnifying small sound waves created by the x-ray heating body tissue. This novel approach offers a new view into data and treatments that doctors could not see before.

Hundreds of thousands of patients receive radiation in cancer treatment every year, which introduces high energy waves and x-ray particles to the body in large increments to debilitate cancer cells. A lack of precision overshadows the benefits of radiation, which also generally damages healthy surrounding cells and can increase the risk of developing new tumors. 

Xueding Wang, the Jonathan Rubin Collegiate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, professor of radiology, and corresponding author in the study published in Nature Biotechnology, and leader in the Optical Imaging Laboratory, said, “Once you start delivering radiation, the body is pretty much a black box. We don’t know exactly where the x-rays are hitting inside the body, and we don’t know how much radiation we’re delivering to the target. And each body is different, so making predictions for both aspects is tricky.” 

Real-time 3D imaging allows doctors to focus radiation on cancerous cells more accurately and minimize exposure to nearby cells. Thermal energy results from x-rays when absorbed into tissues, which causes the cells to expand, creating a sound wave. 

Standard ultrasound technology cannot pick up on these acoustic waves, which are relatively weak. Now, this new technology detects the wave with a selection of ultrasonic transducers aimed at the patient’s side. The signal is augmented and relocated into an ultrasonic device that reconstructs the image. 

Oncology clinics can then maneuver radiation doses to ensure safer and more effective care. The new therapy can also be effortlessly added to existing radiation therapy equipment without significantly altering the clinicians’ current procedures. 

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

High-energy radiation is used to destroy cancer cells in radiotherapy, followed by a treatment plan to minimize the effects of radiation on healthy tissues. It is impossible to predict the immediate effects of treatment (including potential side effects) as each individual is different, and cancer treatment varies. 

Associate Professor Teemu Mullyä, from the University of Oulu, Finland, said, “Cancer therapies produce extensive changes in the physiological and morphological properties of tissues, which are also dependent on the individual.” 

At Oulu University Hospital, researchers are working to alter cancer treatment by centering it around the patient. In a study published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (JBO), they report formulating a method to measure specific patients’ biological responses to therapy, allowing them to assess real-time radiotherapy patient effects. 

Using a functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device, researchers were able to measure changes in the amount of hemoglobin in the brain while the patient underwent whole-brain radiotherapy using a linear accelerator.

Since hemoglobin levels are a valuable indicator of changes in blood volume and radiotherapy changes blood circulation, fNIRS helps provide insights into the immediate effects of radiation. Blood circulation in the tissues was measured in ten patients via tissue oxygenation. 

Mullyä said, “This is the first time human cerebral hemodynamics and cerebral tissue oxygenation changes have been measured during irradiation in clinical radiotherapy. The instantaneous measurement of tissue oxygenation levels during radiotherapy is especially helpful in cases of tumor hypoxia, which is when the oxygen levels in a tumor are low due to certain conditions. Such tumors are particularly resistant to radiotherapy. By instantly measuring tissue oxygenation levels, our proposed method can be used to assess the effectiveness of cancer treatment. This can eventually enable physicians tailor radiation doses to optimize treatment and improve outcomes for their patients.” 

In the future, the researchers will apply their technique to more patients, helping to advance personalized cancer treatment. 

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RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Establishing the Fair Market Value (FMV) of heavy medical equipment is a multi-layered process. Linear accelerators accrue many costs when adding up the various parts. To better understand how to form a proper valuation, keep reading to become familiar with commonly used appraisal terms. 

Fair Market Value (FMV)
Also known as “retail” value, FMV is the price a buyer should anticipate paying to have the device relocated and installed at their location. Software relicensing, commissioning, and accessories required to operate the equipment are all extra fees. 

Orderly Liquidation Value (OLV)
Sometimes referred to as “wholesale” value, OLV is the price a buyer can expect when selling an “as-is, where-is” product. 

In Place Value (IPV)
Another name for IPV is “turn-key” or patient-ready value. It takes into account the values associated with the machine, including the cost of installation, commissioning, software licensing, regulation, accessories, and residual warranty coverage. 

Some factors that impact the medical equipment’s valuation include: 

• Age 
• Configuration
• Physical condition
• Useful life left
• Software version
• Functionality
• Removal path
• Resale market demand
• Wear and tear
• Geography

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RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

The leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States is lung cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in January, roughly half of Medicare patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) do not receive the appropriate imaging before radiation treatment. 

Research has shown that up to 72 percent of patients with lung cancer who receive NSCLC with FDG PET/CT imaging have seen various treatment changes. Compared to patients who underwent CT imaging alone, patients with FDG PET/CT imaging had substantially improved cancer-specific survival rates. 

As a result, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have changed to suggest all recurrent NSCLC patients receive FDG PET/CT to evaluate for metastatic disease. 

The study conducted by researchers examined over 5,000 patients with NSCLC requiring radiation therapy. Those who received only CT imaging were in one group, and those who received additional FDG PET/CT were in another. Scientists investigated the overall and cancer-specific survival rates of both groups. 

When comparing survival rates after three years, those who received only CT imaging had substantially lower overall and cancer-specific survival rates compared to patients who underwent FDG PET/CT imaging. 

In total, 56.3 percent of patients experienced FDG PET/CT before radiation therapy, and 43.6 percent had CT imaging alone. 

Rustain Morgan, MD, MS, a nuclear radiologist at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, said, “This research shows a clear lack of adherence to guidelines and raises important questions as to why. We believe these findings are the tip of the iceberg for guideline nonadherence. More work needs to be done in order to better understand the scope of the issue, with further work focused on interventions which ensure guideline adherence.”

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RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, affecting approximately 7.8 million women in the past seven years. Current 3D breast cancer treatment focuses on treatment, tissue regeneration, and physical recovery. From prosthetics to drug-loaded implants, challenges persist. With a novel 4D technology, complexity and customization combine to improve breast cancer management. 

Generally, 3D treatments are well-established due to many advantages, such as rapid prototyping, ease of accessibility, structural control, and cost-effectiveness. It also requires low energy, so from an environmental perspective, 3D treatments are eco-friendly, reduce waste production, and do not involve chemicals. There are some hurdles when it comes to 3D treatments, however. Some of these include build size, post-processing, and lack of regulation. 

When it comes to revolutionizing the standard treatment for breast cancer, 3D printing has shown a significant impact when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and aesthetic outcomes. 

To help surgeons plan and make decisions, breast and tumor prototypes are used for diagnostic tasks, surgery training, preoperative planning, treatment optimization, and drug screening. These prosthetic models mimic patient anatomy. The 3D models, from a practical perspective, were created to localize tumors and provide physical models for resection guidance. 

With 4D treatments, the advantages and disadvantages of 3D technology are present, but 4D can offer a higher level of complexity and customization features. Combined with programmed functionalities, the dynamic abilities of 4D treatments are advantageous for breast cancer treatment. 

Some challenges of 4D treatment include material availability, technical aspects, and the design process. New materials and improved biocompatibility should be the primary focus when it comes to printability. 

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) was recently declared by the American Academy of Family Physicians as, “The biggest advance in bedside diagnosis since the advent of the stethoscope 200 years ago.” 

Many industry professionals, such as anesthesiologists, internal medicine specialists, family practitioners, and more, already use this technology and believe it is beneficial in widespread application. Ongoing advancements in POCUS technology make it an option for radiologists as well. 

Thanks to POCUS’ ability to rule out suspended pathology at the bedside, Rami Zebian, MD, CMO with Florence Medical Center and Marion Medical Center, said, “The best care is local care. There’s a lot of talk about how to do more care locally. While you can have the best technology, a huge hospital setting, and people can travel, the best option is having options locally at the point of care and getting results or answers faster. For example, emergency medicine physicians who graduate from an emergency medicine residency nowadays have ultrasound as part of their training. If we’re concerned about bleeding, they do the fast scan to quickly identify an area of concern, and then you go after it. There are a lot of conditions where time is very important.” 

Ernesto Brauer, MD, RDMS, RDCS, ASCeXAM, FACP, FCCP, ABSM, council chair with the Point-of-Care Ultrasound Certification Academy, says, “A significant number of ultrasound studies are reported as normal studies. This will avoid the unnecessary burden on radiologists.” 

POCUS offers lower-cost imaging devices that allow organizations to scale their use, enabling high-powered image insights to be at their fingertips. Regarding health care, the impact of POCUS will continue to be substantial, as it has unlimited potential in patient diagnosis. 

Physicians use specific tools to understand the complex physiology presented by patients with complicated conditions. POCUS is now being used as an extension of a physical exam. 

Ohad Zrazi, president and CEO of Clarius Mobile Health, said, “The emergence of high-quality handheld ultrasound systems that are even more portable, affordable, and easier to use is enabling physicians from diverse specialties to use ultrasound for diagnosis and treatment, often during first visits. As more physicians become proficient with using ultrasound to diagnose simple cases at the bedside, radiologists will have more time to focus on complex cases that require high level expertise.” 

Brauer said, “So, in a nutshell, the POCUS community is using POCUS in ways that have never been used conventionally by radiologists or sonographers. We are just in the early phase of the evolution of POCUS.” 

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/