• AFP Imaging (Elmsford, New York) reported a new digital dental product introduction at the opening of the annual Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting, as the company formally unveiled its new Rotograph Digital Panoramic X-Ray machine and software under its Dent-X brand. The company said the Rotograph Digital is a cost-effective solution for panoramic dental imaging. Digital panoramics are advantageous large-format images of the patient's teeth, jaw, and surrounding bone structure for a more complete analysis and diagnosis, without the use of X-ray film. Dent-X has sold the analog film-based version of the Rotograph Plus for many years. This new digital product introduction further builds upon an established, successful product with a proven track record. AFP Imaging said that, through its Dent-X brand leadership, it has become a key player in dental imaging as it continues to rapidly transition from its traditional business in film-based imaging to a global position in digital dental imaging technologies. Now, with the Rotograph Digital addition to its Strato Digital, the company completes its line of digital panoramic X-ray machines for use by dentists.

• Ikonisys (New Haven, Connecticut), which is developing products for diagnosing diseases early using chromosome FISH dot counting and rare-cell identification and analysis, reported that the FDA has cleared for marketing its automated cell-locating device, the Ikoniscope fastFISH amnio Test System. The system is an automated scanning microscope coupled with image analysis, acquisition and display functions. It is intended for in vitro diagnosis as an aide to the technologist or pathologist in the detection, classification and enumeration of cells of interest based on particular characteristics such as intensity, size, shape or fluorescence. The Ikoniscope fastFISH amnio Test System is intended to detect amniotic cells stained by FISH using commercially available direct- labeled DNA probes or chromosomes X, Y, 13, 18 and 21.

• Point Biomedical (San Carlos, California), a developer of products for diagnostic, molecular imaging and drug delivery applications based on its biSphere technology, reported that the new drug application for CARDIOsphere (PB127) has been accepted for review by the FDA. CARDIOsphere is a myocardial perfusion agent used with ultrasound imaging. Point is seeking approval to market CARDIOsphere for the detection and localization of obstructive coronary artery disease. If approved in the U.S., the company said CARDIOsphere would allow cardiologists to diagnose coronary artery disease in the office or hospital using standard ultrasound equipment and without the need for radioactive isotopes.

• Spacelabs Medical (Issaquah, Washington), a provider of patient monitoring systems, reported the availability of a new addition to the UltraviewSL line of patient monitors. The UltraviewSL 2600 is an advanced compact monitor with options that support open standards and connectivity, including WinDNA, which brings workstation functionality for charting and other hospital applications to the point of care. The monitor's compact size and larger display, coupled with advanced monitoring features, provide a flexible solution that enables hospitals to augment their existing installation of Spacelabs monitoring. Additionally, a wireless networking option supports central surveillance during patient transport, enhancing patient safety and improving emergency response time. Together with Spacelabs' new Clinical Event Interface to pagers and other hand-held devices, these capabilities serve to accelerate the flow of critical, time-sensitive patient information to caregivers, regardless of patient or caregiver location. Spacelabs Medical is a division of Spacelabs Healthcare, a subsidiary of OSI Systems.

• VirtualScopics (Rochester, New York), a developer of image-related biomarkers, said that the company co-authored and presented three studies at last month's International Society for Optical Engineering medical imaging meeting in San Diego. The studies describe the use of automated computerized approaches to measure and evaluate progression of musculoskeletal disease as captured in images from MRI or computed tomography. The first presentation addressed the use of a computer software algorithm to segment and image cartilage degradation and thinning in MR images of rat knees, and showing that this automated approach yields similar results to that of using experts to review the images. The second presentation demonstrated the effectiveness of automating the detection of lesions over the course of a longitudinal study among subjects who have undergone hip replacement. And the third study demonstrated the use of a computer algorithm to recognize bone landmarks in MR images of the knee, and to automatically identify and label the surrounding structures for analysis.