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D-THI Deepens Ultrasound’s View

June 1, 2009

Ultrasound imaging of bariatric patients is often hampered by the limits of the modality’s depth penetration. In some cases, larger patients cannot be imaged using the technology because of image-quality issues. Cassie Murvay is an ultrasound product manager for Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. in Tustin, Calif. She explains, “Ultrasound penetration depends on the frequency of the signal you’re sending from the transducer. In order to penetrate deeper, you have to go to a lower frequency, but in order to get that, you sacrifice resolution and clarity.”

To solve the frequency problem, Toshiba developed Differential Tissue Harmonic Imaging (D-THI), a proprietary technique designed to better penetrate dense tissue. D-THI, which is available on the company’s Aplio™ XG and Xario™ XG ultrasound systems, sends a single signal consisting of two pulses—one at a low frequency and one at a high frequency.

“The two pulses give the penetration without losing the resolution,” Murvay says, “so on larger, technically difficult patients, we can penetrate all the way through the liver, for example, and still have the resolution necessary for the diagnosis.”

D-THI works by using enhanced effective bandwidth to capture the images. “This technology is ideal for use on any patient who is large or difficult to image,” Murvay notes. “A lot of vascular imaging is done on diabetic patients, and D-THI can help penetrate large, edematous legs to get the vascular images needed. It’s also beneficial in imaging dense livers, kidneys, pancreas—really, any abdominal imaging on bariatric patients can benefit from D-THI.”

Using D-THI is faster than taking multiple images at a lower degree of depth coverage, and it easily accommodates bariatric patients who might otherwise require a different piece of equipment for scanning, improving throughput and saving imaging centers time and money. “It’s a lifesaver for our customers who deal with bariatric patients,” Murvay says.

Recent Acquisition Fuels Global R&D Effort

January 1, 2009

Last year, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation announced that via its newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary, Toshiba Medical Visualization Systems Europe, Ltd. (TMVS), it would acquire the Advanced Visualization Imaging System Division (AVIS) of Barco nv, Edinburgh, Scotland. This acquisition was made complete last month.

This acquisition brings in-house critical core competencies — the development of 3D volume rendering and advanced visualization capabilities for all Toshiba modalities. In addition, Toshiba now is capable of conducting R&D twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring that the medical community gets the most advanced technologies possible.

“The formation of TMVS establishes a significant multi-modality research and development center in Europe,” said Kenichi Komatsu Ph. D., president and CEO, Toshiba Medical, “ensuring Toshiba’s unfettered access to leading-edge technology in an area of the world widely acknowledged for its innovations in medicine. This also demonstrates Toshiba’s strong commitment to our customers in Europe as well as the healthcare industry worldwide.”

Toshiba is patterning this acquisition after the 2006 acquisition which resulted in the creation of Toshiba Medical Research Institute USA, Inc. (TMRU), a wholly–owned subsidiary. TMRU is a significant research and development center of advanced imaging technologies and clinical applications in the U.S. Combined with Toshiba’s R&D capabilities in Japan, the company undertakes development efforts worldwide on a 24-hour basis.

Toshiba’s global research entities support clinical programs in partnership with luminary academic institutions worldwide to accelerate research and development of clinical applications using Toshiba’s advanced imaging systems.

Increasing Productivity and Patient Comfort While Eliminating Film

November 1, 2008

In today’s healthcare environment, maximizing imaging resources and improving patient throughput is critical to success. Toshiba’s Kalare™ X-ray system helps medical centers accomplish these goals while lowering costs and improving patient care. The system is also specifically designed to accommodate the needs of busy facilities, like Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital in Texas, a Level III Trauma Center which uses two Kalare systems.

“The versatility of Toshiba’s Kalare R&F system coupled with its high-quality images resulted in immediate improvements in patient care, increased overall workflow and eliminated the need for conventional film,” stated Freddie Gibson, director, Medical Imaging Services, Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital.

In addition, the system allows clinicians flexibility to obtain images from virtually any position without moving the patient for improved comfort and faster exams. This makes it ideal for imaging ambulatory, wheelchair and stretcher patients. This flexibility also dramatically increases room utilization and overall operational efficiency.

“The Kalare has saved my department time by helping us complete most of our studies twice as fast as we used to,” said Gibson. “The Kalare is extremely user-friendly, making it comfortable for technologists to perform multiple exams a day with little fatigue. Some exams, which used to require two technologists, can now be performed by one. The chief technologist now has more time to oversee the entire department and work one-on-one with staff.”