• eCardio Diagnostics (The Woodlands, Texas), a provider of advanced ambulatory cardiac monitoring products and services, reported the launch of the eTrigger AF920 event monitor for detection of atrial fibrillation among asymptomatic patients. The eTrigger is equipped with an embedded algorithm that automatically detects and records asymptomatic events without patient activation.

• Fluke Biomedical (Everett, Washington), a manufacturer of biomedical test and simulation products and a provider of imaging and oncology quality assurance solutions for regulatory compliance, said that it has released the DPM2 Plus Digital Universal Pressure Meter, designed to measure the positive and negative pressures of medical devices in either liquid or gaseous form to assist in repair and quality control. When coupled with the optional Parabolic Flow Adapter accessory, the displayed pressure can be interpreted, using the look-up-table supplied with the parabolic flow adapter to determine flow from medical devices.

• GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) said it showcased its updated Vivid cardiovascular ultrasound platform at the recent American Society of Echocardiography meeting in Baltimore. The Vivid 7 Dimension '06, a PC-based, software, raw data ultrasound platform, is designed to help clinicians assess cardiovascular anatomy and left ventricular function with more accuracy by making 4-D cardiovascular imaging easier to use during clinical exams. The Vivid 7 features multi-dimensional imaging formats, real-time, ungated, unspliced 4-D imaging and real-time 4-D full-volume imaging in an easy to use package. New quantitative analysis tools include advanced tissue synchronization imaging and automated function imaging.

• MD Scientific (Charlotte, North Carolina) reported FDA clearance to market its EndoTool Glucose Management System, an intravenous insulin dose calculator designed for critical care applications where tight blood glucose control is desirable. The software leads to prompt control of the glucose level and has a hypoglycemia incidence of less than 0.1% of total calculated doses administered. The company said the software is HIPPA-compliant, provides printed and digital records, is user-friendly and reduces physician workload.

• Medwave (Danvers, Massachusetts), maker of sensor-based, noninvasive blood pressure measuring solutions, reported that it has submitted a 510(k) application to the FDA for its Fusion Non-Invasive Patient Monitor System with Vital Signs Options. Fusion offers Medwave's sensor-based blood pressure solution, while also incorporating pulse oximetry from Nellcor (Pleasanton, California) and thermometry from Kendall (Mansfield, Massachusetts). Fusion can be configured from a stand-alone blood pressure device into a complete vital signs monitor. According to the company, it is the first noninvasive blood pressure and vital signs monitor that is purely sensor-based.

• Nymox Pharmaceutical (Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey) said that results from clinical studies of the company's AlzheimAlert test were presented at the recent International Meeting on Affective, Behavioral and Cognitive Disorders in the Elderly in Bologna, Italy. In the reported studies, more than 90% of cases of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) tested positive in the test, with a specificity of 90%. The studies showed that adjunctive use of the AlzheimAlert test adds significantly to both the positive predictive value and the negative predictive value of the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. All of the findings reached statistical significance. The AlzheimAlert test is a urine-based diagnostic aid for AD, and the company said it is the only proven accurate non-invasive AD test technology available.

• R2 Technology (Sunnyvale, California), a provider of computer aided detection (CAD) technology, reported the launch of Version 2.1 of its ImageChecker CT Lung CAD System, which features expanded PACS integration and updates to the pulmonary artery Patency Exam (PE) tool. With V2.1, results from R2''s AutoPoint Temporal Comparison tool used with lung nodule detection can now be sent to a PACS workstation for full enterprise accessibility, without the need for R2's dedicated CT CAD workstation. AutoPoint automatically matches and tracks lung nodule changes in order to minimize intra-reader measurement variability and to expedite case review. Also with the V2.1 software, R2's PE tool features expanded software capability by providing volume calculations for filling defects, which can help the physician's decision making. The PE tool is now available separately from R2's lung nodule detection system, offering increased configuration flexibility.

• Roche Diagnostics (Indianapolis) reported that the company's newest coagulation monitoring system, the CoaguChek XS system for physician's office use, has been submitted to the FDA for 510(k) clearance. The CoaguChek XS system is a small, hand-held, easy-to-use instrument for prothrombin time/ INR testing. It provides fast results – in about a minute – and requires only one drop of blood from the fingertip. The test strip was designed with built-in controls, which it reads to determine strip integrity. The strips can be dosed on the top, right or left side, making it easier for patients to apply blood. The CoaguChek XS system gives information about a patient's level of anticoagulation directly on the spot and allows their healthcare professional to adjust, if necessary, the doses of medication to a level that reduces the risk of major complications.

• Siemens Medical Solutions (Malvern, Pennsyl-vania) introduced syngo WebSpace, a client-server computed tomography (CT) workplace solution, at the Stanford Radiology 8th Annual International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT, which ended yesterday in San Francisco. syngo WebSpace enables storage for hundreds of thin-slice data cases and large thin-slice data sets that are immediately available for 2-D, 3-D and 4-D interactive reading using Siemens syngo InSpace 4-D software. All rendering takes place on the server, providing users with advanced processing speed. syngo WebSpace gives users rapid access to thin-slice data, while freeing up the CT scanner database. The program facilitates from five to 20 concurrent sessions, depending on the server configuration, from any number of users throughout the hospital network and via secure access from remote locations. Once syngo WebSpace is connected to the central server, a PACS workplace or PC can be turned into a processing workplace. First installations of syngo WebSpace, which is pending 510(k) review, are expected later this year at the University of Erlangen and the University of Munich in Germany and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore).

• TomTec Imaging Systems (Munich, Germany) said it is introducing its new diagnostic tool for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The 4D LV-Analysis software is a tool for comprehensive left ventricular (LV) analysis based on 3-D echocardiographic datasets. Newly established dyssynchrony Systolic Dyssynchrony Index cut-off values now allow better patient selection, as well as the identification of patients who are currently not considered for CRT but may also benefit. 4D LV-Analysis features advanced automatic contour finding algorithms for a fast, accurate and reproducible functional analysis of the left ventricle, even for difficult-to-image patients. 4D LV-Analysis also offers analysis options like 3-D Parametric Imaging, which simplifies dyssynchrony assessment and allows the exact localization of areas with delayed myocardial contraction.