• Astra Tech (Waltham, Massachusetts) has reported the enhancement of its online Atlantis WebOrder system with the addition of Atlantis 3-D viewer. The Atlantis 3-D viewer allows for optimized 360 review of Atlantis abutment designs before final production of the abutment. This internet-based feature gives Astra Tech customers 24/7 access to view their Atlantis case images. Atlantis abutments are designed and fabricated using Atlantis VAD (Virtual Abutment Design) system, a patented process that combines 3-D optical scanning, advanced software, and manufacturing methods to deliver patient-specific abutments that eliminates the need for hand modification. Atlantis abutments help to expand the possibilities for cement-retained implant restorations and are available for all major implant systems and in the materials titanium, gold-shaded titanium and zirconia.

• Invitrogen (Carlsbad, California) reported the launch of Gibco OpTmizer T-cell expansion SFM, a solution for culturing and expanding human T-cells that does not require the addition of serum. The company says the OpTmizer SFM will enable scientists to advance their research on the central role that T-cells play in human immune response. These cells are widely studied by scientists conducting basic and clinical research, as well as biotech and pharmaceutical companies and organizations studying biodefense. Obtaining large amounts of viable cells for these studies is critical to this work, and led Invitrogen to specifically formulate OpTmizer SFM to enable superior cell growth and viability with consistent results, without the addition of serum.

• Virtual Radiologic (Minneapolis) has received FDA approval for its own developed picture archiving and communications system (vRad PACS). Virtual Radiologic will introduce the software to its affiliated radiologists over the next several months, gradually replacing the commercial software it currently licenses. Virtual Radiologic has in excess of 135 contracted affiliated radiologists located across the nation who will interpret more than 2-1/2 million diagnostic images this year through its teleradiology technology and workflow platform. vRad PACS incorporates a number of features suggested by these radiologists for ease of use and reading efficiency.