Information technology products launched at ACC conference
Information technology products launched at ACC conference
A Healthcare InfoTech Staff Report
Most products rolled out at the annual American College of Cardiology (ACC; Bethesda, MD) conference each year are surgical instruments and monitoring devices, but new information technologies are gradually taking a larger and larger share of the exhibition space.
Following is a sampling of the new IT products which cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons will be using, introduced at this week’s ACC gathering in New Orleans.
• Acuson (Mountain View, CA) introduced the View Pro-Net Network Image Review Software package, billed as a "cost-effective, DICOM-based echocardiography network solution that provides reviewing, reporting and archiving of echocardiogram studies." "With ViewPro-Net software, echocardiography departments can access the DIMAQ integrated ultrasound workstation beyond the exam room via a local or wide area network (LAN or WAN) and experience the next step in the digital lab evolution," said Jeff Hastings, PACS division manager for Acuson.
"The View Pro-Net software provides networked, echo review capabilities that are superior to videotape within the budget of an entry level network. Additionally, it enables users to efficiently and rapidly archive studies directly to a CD-ROM," Hastings said.
Specializing in medical ultrasound systems, Acuson is attempting to build a comprehensive digital echo lab architecture on the foundation of the company’s Sequoia and Aspen echocardiography systems. With the ViewPro-Net software’s direct DICOM connection using standard Windows-based PCs, the review package provides a network with fast access to high-quality images.
• FORE Systems (Pittsburgh) teamed with the ACC to offer demonstrations of advanced healthcare applications over a high-performance network. The FORE Systems’ network was built with an asynchronous transfer mode technology enabling images, voice, video and data-intensive medical applications to be transported over a single, multi-service network. FORE’s networking solutions enable advanced medical applications to be shared in real-time among departments in a hospital, across a medical campus, or among medical organizations worldwide.
"The high-performance network we have installed at ACC 99 permits us to showcase technological advances that will dramatically improve medical professionals' ability to deliver patient care," said Thomas Walker, ACC manager of network operations and services.
FORE Systems has provided the core of the high-speed ACC communications network for the past four years. The meeting network, ACCnet, is a redundant, fault-tolerant OC-12 (622 Mbps) ATM backbone featuring integration of voice, video and data. It is built on FORE’s networking products, including ForeRunner ATM switches and adapters, ES-3810 Ethernet switches and StreamRunner ATM video products. Advanced Networked Medical Applications ACCnet linked multiple sites in the convention center including the media newsroom, ACC exhibit, global resource center, exhibitor lounge, and ACC staff offices.
• The Electromedical Systems Division of Siemens Medical Systems (Danvers, MA) introduced CARDEA, an open-architecture database system for merging clinical and administrative records of cardiology patients. CARDEA can be used to access, analyze, manage and track a patient through all phases of the cardiology continuum and providing a bridge between the central hospital information system and clinical subsystems. It collects clinical information from each point-of-care site and merges demographic, historical, laboratory and pharmaceutical data.
CARDEA interfaces with the Siemens CATHCOR system and offers a standard features an imaging browser for echo, X-ray and ECG diagnosis. Besides offering presentation data for better patient analysis, its template of standard processes makes dictation unnecessary. Other features include flexible headings, dates and currencies, color-coded approval, and image sequences. CAREDEA is designed to for workflow streamlining via information sharing with other physicians outside the imaging laboratory. Siemens Electromedical Systems Division is one of six Siemens medical companies nationwide.
• iMedix (Chevy Chase, MD) introduced Cardio Source, an Internet-based solution for managing cardiac patient treatment. Previously, iMedix released CV Source enabling cardiac surgeons to collect, analyze and compare clinical outcomes via the Internet, any time and from any point of care. With the integration of CV Source and Cardio Source, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons can have real-time access to an on-line community to share information and communicate with their peers, according to iMedix. This information can range from patient outcomes to cost efficiencies. Ern Blackwelder, company president and CEO, said that by housing all patient information in a single location, "the iMedix solution provides cardiologists and cardiac surgeons instant access to both surgical and general medical patient data."
Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.