Day 1 of RSNA 2015: Learn what the top trends were at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting and scientific assembly for 2015; from the leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, MD Buyline. For the full article, visit http://www.mdbuyline.com/research-library/articles/top-5-trends-from-rsna-2015-day-1/.

1. Top 5 Trends from
RSNA 2015 Day 1

2. The Radiological Society of North America
(RSNA) annual meeting and scientific assembly
is currently underway in Chicago, Illinois.
As the largest assembly for radiology
professionals, the conference provides
radiologists, oncologists, physicists, radiological
technologists and allied healthcare
professionals hands-on exploration of
equipment and the first look at innovative
technology advancements.

3. Despite the theme “Innovation is the key to our
future,” smaller improvements in the vendor space
dominated the discussion.
Customer feedback and requests for
enhancements have driven the focus on
technology and software enhancements for better
clinical data and workflow productivity.

4. Other top trends we’ve seen at
RSNA this year include:

5. 1. Smaller Equipment Footprint: We are
consistently seeing vendors shift toward the
creation of systems that offer a smaller footprint
in the hospital setting. For years, ultrasound
vendors have been creating more compact,
portable equipment that still maintains high
image quality, but now we are seeing general
radiology vendors follow suit.

6. 1. For example, GE has a new 3T MRI system
called SIGNA Pioneer (129 m2) that allows
hospitals to upgrade from a 1.5T without
sacrificing valuable real estate in the hospital.
For PET/CT, Siemens showcased Biograph
Horizon PET/CT, which is pending 510k
clearance and offers a smaller footprint and
lower cost by about $150,000.

7. 1. Siemens accomplished the smaller size and
lower cost by removing the chiller and offering
an air-cooled system along with a low electric
circuit. When it comes to general radiography,
major vendors have realized that there is a need
for nonpremium solutions and have joined
smaller OEMs in offering fixed floor-mounted
X-ray systems.

8. 1. These systems offer a smaller footprint and do
not require ceiling infrastructure or added
support. Additionally, vendors such as Del
Medical and Shimadzu are able to place the
generator cabinet within the patient table,
which frees up space within the room.

9. 1. These changes also help bring down the price
of the systems considerably. Providers should
consider these systems for secondary and
tertiary department rooms, which tend to
experience lower exam volumes.

10. 2. Secure Patient Data in Medical Imaging: A
number of hospitals and healthcare systems
recently have been in the news for high-profile
data breaches. As a result, we are seeing a
number of imaging vendors like Philips,
SonoSite and Siemens adding software
applications to their systems to help reduce
security risks and protect patient data.

11. 2. Other vendors, such as Philips, are working
directly with the healthcare IT professionals to
give them customizable security options for the
hospital system as a whole. However, these are
all reactive measures, and the imaging
community as a whole needs to work more
closely with healthcare IT to protect patient
data.

12. 3. Imaging Options for Remote or Rural Locations:
As hospitals continue to merge and consolidate,
there is a growing population in the U.S. and
abroad that does not have regular access to
healthcare. For ultrasound, we are seeing
imaging vendors create systems that are battery
operated, highly portable and easy to use for
nontraditional healthcare workers.

13. 3. Such healthcare workers can easily send
images they acquire from this equipment to
remote clinicians for review. Vendors offering
portable X-ray systems are highlighting
smaller-scale systems that can be used for
home health visits in conjunction with
telemedicine. We are also seeing a resurgence
of mobile imaging coaches that offer high-end
imaging, such as mammography, CT and MRI.

14. 4. Orthopedic Metal Artifact Reduction (OMAR):
Nearly all vendors are either introducing or
pushing the use of OMAR software to help
patients with metal prostheses. Artifacts created
from metal prostheses can cause missed
pathology due to unclear images, but OMAR
helps eliminate this by introducing a software
algorithm that suppresses the streak artifacts.

15. 4. New software from GE also can suppress
dental artifacts, which are often denser than
traditional orthopedic implants.

16. 5. Advances With X-ray Systems: Currently, most
manufacturers already offer systems with a
high degree of automation and auto positioning
functionality. With the launch of Multitom Rax
by Siemens, we are seeing the degree of
automation move to the next level with a twin
robotic system configuration.

17. 5. This gives clinicians the capability to do not
only X-ray and fluoro, but also basic
angiography procedures and 3D imaging,
which previously were not possible. This gives
clinicians the capability to do not only X-ray
and fluoro, but also basic angiography
procedures and 3D imaging, which previously
were not possible.

18. 5. We are also seeing Konica, Fujifilm and Philips
enhancing grid-free software processing,
which will help technologists by eliminating
issues associated with grid alignment. Canon
U.S.A. is also working on a scatter correction
software solution that will eliminate the need
for a grid in many bedside-imaging studies
such as chest X-rays.

19. 5. Likewise, although Agfa Healthcare does not
have a separate solution for grid-free imaging,
their Musica 3 image processing is said to
provide an appropriate algorithm for grid-free
imaging similar to other imaging vendors.
Philips and Fujifilm versions are also pending
FDA approval for whole anatomy image
processing instead of chest exams only.