December 2011

Ultrasound screenings of marine mammals shed light on decompression

London—Research performed on dolphins and other marine mammals that dive and resurface rapidly in the open ocean may offer solutions to human decompression sickness (DS), commonly referred to as "the bends." When humans ascend too quickly from a deep dive, nitrogen bubbles form in the body and cause complications. But ultrasound screenings performed on stranded dolphins reveal the presence of the same possibly deadly bubbles. Whereas researchers have traditionally theorized that these mammals are immune to DS, these findings suggest that dolphins and other diving mammals may in fact simply better manage their dives and ascents in order to avoid the bends.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/12/21/study.examines.how.
diving.marine.mammals.manage.decompression

View the original press release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution at the link below:

http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7545&tid=282&cid=118569&ct=162

Researchers use ultrasound to detect DVT in trauma patients

Amsterdam—Noticing a trend in the presence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LEDVT) in trauma patients who have been critically ill, researchers investigated the phenomenon in a recent study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. The authors of the study ordered duplex ultrasound screenings (DUS) for a selection of these patients in order to better detect DVT, and found that medical professionals often miss the presence of DVT in these high-risk patients. The study found that forms of DVT often appear in critically ill trauma patients regardless of the pattern of trauma and within the first week after surgery, and ultrasound screenings offer a solution to catching the condition before it escalates.

http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=89967

Ultrasound aids in predicting risk for preterm birth

Lexington, KY—Using transvaginal cervical ultrasound to detect for short cervix in pregnant women, researchers at the University of Kentucky's College of Medicine can predict for risk of preterm birth and determine whether to treat for the risk using vaginal progesterone. Once a pregnant patient has screened positively for a short cervix, medical professionals may administer a vaginal progesterone gel, significantly reducing the risk of preterm birth.

http://www.mc.uky.edu/obg/clinic.asp

AIUM approves ACEP Emergency Ultrasound Guidelines

Laurel, MD—Initially having published its emergency ultrasound documents in October of 2008, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) announced this month that the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has officially recognized its Emergency Ultrasound Guidelines as meeting requirements for specifications on the practice of ultrasound in an emergency setting. AIUM President Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD, explained that focusing on the rising importance of fields like emergency ultrasound helps to ensure that these programs will receive funding at medical organizations across the country, and looks forward to learning what other indispensible guidelines the ACEP may provide for the medical imaging community in the future.

http://www.acep.org/Content.aspx?id=82925&terms=guidelines%20aium%20emergency

Study suggests associations between venous insufficiency and multiple sclerosis

Buffalo, NY—A new study from the Department of Neurology at the University of Buffalo suggests there may be an association between chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and multiple sclerosis (MS). CCSVI presents with blood flow impairment between the central and peripheral nervous systems, and some researchers theorize that this stricture limits blood flow to the brain and may cause MS. The study shows that risk factors for both conditions are remarkably similar, though no official association has been recognized.

http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/vascular-condition-and-ms-share-risk-factors/

Choosing Wisely campaign works to optimize medical imaging efficiency and efficacy

Philadelphia, PA—The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation launched the Choosing Wisely campaign in 1999 with the aim to reassess the necessity of commonly issued medical imaging procedures during this time of rigorous spending cuts in order to optimize time and financial budgets. National ultrasound-affiliated organizations that may be familiar to sonographers such as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) have gathered in support of the campaign to reduce unnecessary imaging in order to maximize efficiency of patient care and use of resources.

http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/about_choosingwisely.pdf

DVT and Air Travel fact sheet available from the Vascular Disease Foundation

Lakewood, CO—A condition that commonly arises from long-term sitting during plane flights, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE) during which a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs. The Vascular Disease Foundation recently issued a helpful fact sheet that outlines important information from risk factors to signs and symptoms relevant for all frequent flyers.

http://www.vdf.org/pdfs/DVT-Air-Travel011509-web.pdf

TVT Registry measures new alternative to aortic valve replacement

Washington, DC—Working in conjunction, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) have recently instated the Transcatheter Valve Trial (TVT) Registry as a means of measuring the efficacy and safety of the newly developed transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. In its testing stages, the TAVR offers an alternative for patients who are not candidates for traditional aortic valve replacement surgery. The Registry contains data reported quarterly, including demographics information, comparisons of success rates of individual institutions to national rates, standardized definitions, risk factors, and post-procedure follow-up outcomes.

https://www.ncdr.com/TVT/Home/Default.aspx

New autism links may shed light on diagnosis and treatment

Boston, MA—Autism may be associated with disorganization of brain nervous systems and defects in myelin, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have found. A recent study from the Department of Neurology using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, a type of MRI, links faulty nerve pathways to tuberous sclerosis, a condition that presents with ultrasound-visible cardiac tumors, which is in turn associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Often, patients also presented with poorly insulated axons, characterized by defects in the white matter that insulates them, made up partly of a fatty substance called myelin. With this new brain-mapped data connecting nerve charting and myelin imperfections to a higher likelihood of an ASD, researchers hope to develop improved methods for diagnosing and treating autism.

http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpage
S1339P808.html

November 2011

Walking through doorways triggers compartmentalization, and forgetting

Notre Dame, IN—A new study performed at the Notre Dame University Department of Psychology demonstrates that humans are likely to forget simple task assignments upon traveling through a doorway. Researchers instructed one group of subjects to carry objects across a room and replace them with other objects on tables. Upon walking through a doorway to a different room, however, subjects were likely to forget their assignment, a phenomenon researchers attribute to an "event boundary" that a doorway creates, causing the brain to compartmentalize events that have occurred beyond that boundary.

http://newsinfo.nd.edu/news/27476-walking-through-doorways-causes-forgetting-new-research-shows/

Ultrasound reveals new observations of muscle behavior

Australia—Recent ultrasound studies show that when muscles are completely relaxed they actually expand, become wavy, and buckle. Researchers at Neuroscience Research Australia and the University of New South Wales collaborated on a study that revealed this striking new revelation in musculoskeletal ultrasound. Using new models created from results of the study, imaging technologists and medical professionals will be able to improve understanding of muscles as they function normally and abnormally in various musculoskeletal disorders.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/11/01/3352364.htm

AIUM releases official statement on measuring fetal heart rate

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) organized a statement this month describing the two ultrasonographic methods for measuring fetal heart rate. In order to increase accuracy, the AIUM explicitly recommends using M-mode as a primary method of measurement, and then following up by visualizing the heartbeat using B-mode and effectively hearing the beat using spectral Doppler ultrasound. Read the official AIUM-issued statement at the link below.

http://www.aium.org/publications/viewStatement.aspx?id=43

Wireless pacemaker in early stages of development

Sunnyvale, CA—Sending an ultrasound pulse from outside the body to a small receiver planted permanently inside the heart, a new type of pacemaker can effectively stimulate heart tissue wirelessly. Researchers for EBR Systems based in California are developing the wireless pacemaker, hoping to avoid failed leads in conventional pacemaker implants. The device, called the wireless cardiac stimulation (WiCS) system, converts ultrasound energy rather than radio waves into electricity, delivering a shock to the heart tissue in order to initiate movement, all from a transmitter located outside the body.

http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/39162/?p1=A1

Studies involving animal sonar improve ultrasound technology

Israel—Animals who utilize built-in sonar systems to determine their surroundings have a one-up on man-made ultrasound and sonar technologies. Researchers at Tel Aviv University suggest that creatures such as bats, dolphins, and mole rats possess superior sound-wave interpretation capabilities because they can process real-time data at astounding speeds, in tens of milliseconds, and are able to process different pieces of information simultaneously. Scientists hope to use this research to inform advances in man-made ultrasound technologies in order to create an improved map of the human body as well as affect developments in military sonar.

http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=15515

IFSER to hold 2012 Symposium in January

Mill Creek, WA—The International Foundation for Sonography Education and Research (IFSER), for which Davies President and founder Michael Davies currently acts on Advisory Board, is set to hold its 2012 annual symposium January 21–22, 2012, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. IFSER endeavors to promote advancement and refinement of the sonography field by providing educational opportunities for sonography students and practitioners, and hopes to reach a wide audience with its upcoming meeting, to be held at the Ramada Palms de Las Cruces Hotel and Conference Center.

http://ifser.squarespace.com/events/

Giant banana car raises awareness for deep vein thrombosis

Quakertown, PA—The Braithwaite brothers, Steve and Spade, are soon to embark on a world tour in their giant, home-built, Banana Car, all to support research and awareness for deep vein thrombosis in honor of their mother's passing from the disease. Having raised over $4000 for DVT awareness, the Braithwaites have proposed two different routes for their trip around the world as well as compiled a website, Facebook fanpage, and over 2000 fans and followers, and are set to begin their journey in Spring of 2012. Donate to support DVT awareness and/or the Banana Car journey at the link below.

www.bigbananacar.com

…and don't forget to "Like" the Banana Car on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Banana-Car/362619161489

AIUM offers tips on avoiding common noncompliant findings

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), in its recent article in the Sound Waves Weekly, addresses findings commonly marked noncompliant when practices apply for accreditation. The AIUM focuses on three common findings based on uterine orientation, biparietal diameter measurements, and thermal index selection, and offers suggestions for correcting noncompliant reports.

http://www.aium.org/publications/soundWavesWeekly/
article.aspx?aId=431&iId=20111103

Vascular Disease Foundation YouTube channel available online

Lakewood, CO—The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) provides more than 15 informational videos explaining various vascular conditions on its free YouTube channel. Uploading new videos regularly, the VDF addresses such issues as peripheral arterial disease awareness, deep vein thrombosis, the Ankle-Brachial index (ABI), and how blood clots form. Visit the link below to browse the VDF YouTube video collection.

http://www.youtube.com/VascularDiseaseFdn#p/a/u/1/R-drCVve9RM

Sound Ergonomics new website up and running

Kenmore, WA—Sound Ergonomics, a Washington–based company dedicated to sonography occupational health, has just completed work on its newly revamped website. The website offers instructional videos on healthy scanning techniques for medical imaging technologists, and works to connect sonographers and other medical professionals with equipment dealers, professional organizations, and publications on safe ergonomic scanning.

http://www.soundergonomics.com/

ACR announces new Radiology Leadership Institute

Reston, VA—The American College of Radiology (ACR) has been working to develop its Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI), an academy for radiologists and other medical imaging professionals in leadership positions. The Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), recently established by the ACR RLI Board of Directors, sets the framework for the RLI curriculum, and the Institute's inaugural event is set for July 2012, by invitation only. Visit the link below to read more about the ACR's new Radiology Leadership Institute.

http://www.acr.org/RLI

Visit the official RLI webpage at the link below.

http://www.radiologyleaders.org/

October 2011

MIT uses radar beams to see through walls

Cambridge, MA—The Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a new radar technology that makes it possible for a human to visualize items through a solid concrete wall. The device emits radar beams through the wall using a transmitter. An ultrasensitive receiver then collects the same beams, weakened immensely by their travel through the wall, off of objects behind the wall, and back through the wall again, and creates a real-time heat-display image map. Project leaders assert that the new technology may help military operations to detect human targets through concrete walls during urban combat.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/radar-technology-mit-walls/story?id=14773871#.TqD9gHTG9lQ.email

AIUM members may access free online Resource Library

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) offers a free online Resource Library for its members including several manuals, annual reports, and other ultrasound education materials in eBook form. Sign in to your online AIUM member account and visit the AIUM's eLibrary to read up on topics like medical imaging safety, equipment quality assurance, and suggested ultrasound terminology.

http://www.aium.org/misc/resourceLibrary.aspx

Ultrasound elasticity imaging sheds light on Crohn's disease complications

Ann Arbor, MI—According to a recent University of Michigan Health System study, ultrasound imaging may allow doctors to determine treatment for patients with Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease patients often present with chronic inflammation of the intestine. Ultrasound elasticity imaging (UEI) could help distinguish whether the condition is simple inflammation, to be treated medicinally, or more severe intestinal fibrosis—caused by intestinal scarring as a result of frequent inflammation—which requires surgery.

http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/crohns-ultrasound-1014

Sound Ergonomics offers tips for safe scanning

Kenmore, WA—Sound Ergonomics works to inform sonographers on best scanning techniques for long-term healthy imaging. The Fall newsletter suggests that ultrasound technologists take full advantage of exam table and chair height adjustments in order to avoid unnecessary workplace injuries typical of arm abduction.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?
llr=zjyztgcab&v=001BpBBz7jUJgBczokXTT8YvscoVxcyws4YR3p
lZP3ZVf68b1j61HOpHJiuIIK5-1Pcba9dHwT70d5dHFfApZ
rR2XKGRcuUmgUFON0TmIRnqWRDu1PTihteeg%3D%3D

Breast density reduces efficacy of mammographic screening for cancer

New York, NY—Regular negative mammographic screenings do not necessarily rule out the presence of cancer for women with dense breast tissue. One patient in New York was recently diagnosed with a cancerous breast tumor that had been growing for four to five years, imaged using breast ultrasound, even though she'd experienced regular negative mammograms for eleven years. Density of breast tissue drastically reduces mammographic cancer findings, and increasingly radiologists and other medical professionals suggest regular breast ultrasound screenings for female patients.

http://www.parade.com/health/stay-healthy/2011/10/nancy-cappello.html

Intravascular ultrasound uncovers hidden factor contributing to heart attacks in women

New York, NY—More frequent in women than in men, heart attacks sometimes occur in coronary arteries that have previously appeared angiographically normal. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has revealed the cause of this mysterious myocardial infarction. Plaque disruption, a cholesterol plaque ulceration, can cause heart attacks in women who have been previously cleared as free from significant coronary artery disease (CAD), while angiograms miss this important finding.

http://www.ptca.org/news/2011/1006_IVUS.html

AIUM works to develop and expand published guidelines

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) Clinical Standards Committee recently approved a draft of performance and training guidelines for use of ultrasound in the field of urology. Compiled with close supervision from the American Urological Association (AUA), the draft is set for presentation to the AIUM and AUA governing boards for final approval. The AIUM has also implemented significant updates to its guidelines for performing fetal echocardiography and will submit them for approval to all organizations that collaborated on the revision.

http://www.aium.org/publications/soundWavesWeekly/
article.aspx?aId=410&iId=20111006

Additionally, since its successful 2010 point-of-care ultrasound practice forum last November, AIUM point-of-care task forces have been developing guidelines for this unique and increasingly relevant use of ultrasound imaging.

http://www.aium.org/publications/soundWavesWeekly/
article.aspx?aId=411&iId=20111006

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound improves renal tumor detection

New York, NY—Researchers at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York have found that using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) techniques can help clinicians to determine risk associated with any sort of renal tumor. Investigators inject a contrast medium consisting of gas-filled lipid microspheres intravenously and use it to distinguish the type of mass tissue, providing a much less invasive way to test for malignancy when compared to present biopsy methods.

http://www.renalandurologynews.com/ultrasound-technique-may-improve-renal-tumor-management/article/213387/

October is Ultrasound Awareness month!

Several national ultrasound and other medical imaging organizations team up again this year to promote October as Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month (MUAM). Entities like the ARDMS, SDMS, AIUM, SVU, ASE, and CCI all provide informational pages on how they are contributing to Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month this year. Click the links below for each organizations' resources offered.

American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS):
http://www.ardms.org/news_multimedia/ardms_articles/
ardms_ultrasound_awareness_month/

Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS):
http://www.sdms.org/resources/muam/default.asp

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM):
http://www.aium.org/muam/muam.aspx

Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU):
http://www.svunet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3693

American Society of Echocardiography (ASE):
http://www.asecho.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4264

Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI):
http://www.cci-online.org/content/october-is-medical-ultrasound-awareness-month-muam

September 2011

Online gamers decipher the structure of an AIDS-like enzyme

Seattle, WA—Seeking new techniques for cracking the AIDS virus code, researchers at the University of Washington turned to human intuition where automated attempts at creating accurate spatial maps of AIDS enzymes have failed. Scientists developed Foldit, a video game in which players work in groups to spatially unfold amino acid chains. To the surprise of Washington researchers, video gamers were able to construct an accurate enzyme model in just three weeks. Seth Cooper, one of Foldit's creators, explains, "Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science, and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

http://fold.it/portal/info/science

Speed of light, broken?

Switzerland—The Opera Collaboration, a subset project of the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), may have broken the universe's known speed limit—the speed of light. Researchers sent a beam of "neutrinos" through the Earth to a laboratory at Gran Sasso in Italy, where physicists received the particles 60 billionths of a second earlier than they would have if the neutrinos had travelled at the speed of light. After challenging their positive results, CERN has released their findings to the science community at large, hoping to bolster or reject their discovery with more research data from outside their own laboratory walls.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15017484

ARDMS website revamped

Rockville, MD—The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has made significant changes to its website. While the design layout remains largely the same, the Credentials Offered page now includes a slot for the newly approved RMSK credential examinations. Click the link below to view the revised list of ARDMS credential examinations offered.

http://www.ardms.org/credentials_examinations/

Potential disarming of the AIDS virus

United States and Europe—A collaboration between American and European institutions has lighted on a startling discovery—that the AIDS virus faces potential disarmament when it is denied cholesterol. The virus uses cholesterol to activate pDCs, or plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which work initially to fight the virus, but when overworked actually cause damage to the immune system. Dr. Adriano Boasso of Imperial College London who led a recent study likens this effect to "revving your car in first gear for too long—eventually the engine blows out." In causing the body's immune system to overreact, the HIV strain is able to weaken and eventually overrun the body's defenses. If it is denied cholesterol fuel at the appropriate stage, however, it can potentially be controlled and effectively deactivated.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/19/us-aids-hiv-disarm-idUSTRE78I5O820110919

ACR contests unfounded budget reduction in Medicare Final Rule

Reston, VA—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have included a multiple procedure payment reduction (MPPR) in this year's drafted Medicare Final Rule. The reduction would slash 50% of budget for a "'professional component' of CT, MRI, and ultrasound services administered to the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting." The American College of Radiology (ACR) opposes the reduction, asserting that the CMS is operating under flawed assumptions. The ACR's point is bolstered by a recent JACR (Journal of the American College of Radiology) study reporting that multiple services provided in the same session to the same patient actually produces highly variable results. Read the full ACR-issued update at the link below.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/ACR-2012-Comment-MPFS.aspx

Amazon offers to hire 7,000 pending California sales tax decision

Sacramento, CA—Starting July 1, 2011, the State of California enacted a new tax stipulation requiring out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax on online orders. Amazon.com, Inc. subsequently proposed a 7,000-strong hire if the sales tax law were to be put on hold for two years. Lawmakers quickly expressed intent to dismiss the offer, in part because large and small California-based retailers have long complained about web-based out-of-state companies avoiding California sales tax. The State of California and Amazon have agreed, however, to suspend sales tax for one year, at which time Amazon will drop its attempt at overturning the law.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/01/economy-california-amazon-idUSN1E7801AM20110901

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/08/business/
la-fi-amazon-tax-20110908

AIUM now offers applications for senior membership

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) recognizes its senior members by awarding senior membership status to those who demonstrate their achievements. Accepted senior members complete a first step toward AIUM fellow eligibility, and receive special benefits like published recognition and priority selection for committee positions. Click the link below to read more on application requirements and qualifications.

http://www.aium.org/aboutAium/leadership/seniors/seniorsIntro.aspx

ACR helps to rebuild Haiti

Reston, VA—The American College of Radiology (ACR) has published updates on its current relief efforts in Haiti in the September issue of the ACR Bulletin. The ACR Board of Chancellors founded the Haiti Radiology Relief Fund in 2010 in order to work toward re-establishing Haitian medical imaging facilities, with special employment in projects at Grace Children's Hospital, the University Hospital, and the Hospital of Peace. The ACR has facilitated donations to Haitian hospitals as well as provided educational material and are currently working to coordinate further volunteer projects with the aim of maintaining a sustainable cross-collaborative relationship with the Haitian government for education and resource sharing in the future.

Read the original ACR press release here:

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/
Earthquake-Damage-to-Haitian-Healthcare-Facilities-.aspx

Read the ACR Radiology in Haiti blog, which provides updates on the ACR's current efforts, at:

http://radiologyinhaiti.blogspot.com/

View a short video issued by the ACR Bulletin chronicling the ACR's experiences in Haiti at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=496xwhCL5ts
&feature=player_embedded

September is PAD Awareness Month!

Lakewood, CO—The Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Coalition invites members of the medical community to participate in PAD Awareness Month. The coalition, made up of leading health organizations, national vascular professional societies, and government agencies, was formed in 2004 to raise awareness about and garner research support for peripheral arterial disease, a serious condition that affects approximately 8 million Americans. The PAD Coalition offers educational materials such as an interactive workbook, an exercise toolkit, and radio and print public service announcements for community members to use in their own professional facilities, educational programs, and offices in order to call attention to this leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and amputation and work towards its prevention.

http://www.padcoalition.org/resources/month.php

Nanotechnology affords a new electric motor the size of a molecule

United Kingdom—A September report in Nature Nanotechnology describes the smallest electric motor ever created, measuring a mere billionth of a meter across. This tiny motor molecule is the first to be driven individually using an electric current, whereas previously developed motors driven by light or chemical reactions are impossible to drive separately—all within the same space are driven by the same light movement or chemical reaction. Using this new butyl methyl sulphide motor molecule technology, researchers can animate and observe the motion of just one motor at a time, offering exciting new applications in medicine and nanotechnology.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14763223

August 2011

Ultrasound aids in detection of thyroid malignancy

Oak Brook, IL—The search for a simple and practical thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TIRADS) has long been challenging researchers. The Department of Radiology at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, points to ultrasound, which in a recent study provided seven sonographic imaging features that are consistently associated with malignancy. Using a new TIRADS developed from the study's findings, researchers hope to produce a statistical risk score that they can positively associate with malignancy in thyroid nodules.

http://www.healthimaging.com/index.php?option=com_articles
&view=article&id=29238:radiology-ultrasound-based-risk-
score-predicts-thyroid-malignancy

SDMS offers a smartphone app to complement its upcoming 2011 annual conference

Plano, TX—The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) announces its newly developed annual conference application for smartphones. The phone app is available for use with Apple iOS, Android, Windows phones, and with other smartphone operating systems such as Blackberry or HP WebOS. The app grants instant access to course syllabi, live conference and speaker updates, special offers, and photos. Visit the SDMS annual conference registration form linked below for more detailed information on downloading the app to your smartphone.

https://www.sdms.org/pdf/AC2011OnsiteRegFormandMemberApp.pdf

SDMS president Charlotte Henningsen, MS, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDM, ends her term

Plano, TX—After serving two years as president of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS), Charlotte Henningsen, MS, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDM, officially ends her term at the SDMS annual conference this September. Among other achievements, Henningsen founded the SDMS President's blog in order to connect directly with SDMS members via her personal and professional updates. In the last two years the SDMS has produced and delivered two webinars in conjunction with sister organization AIUM (the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine) to help bring musculoskeletal ultrasound to the forefront of the ultrasound community. Henningsen also takes pride in the SDMS's most recent advocacy efforts concerning the CARE Bill, which promotes standardization of sonography education and requirements and nearly passed through Congress in November of 2010. SDMS members can read her heartfelt outgoing message in full at the link below.

http://www.sdms.org/members/news/NewsWave/NW-August-2011.pdf#page=1

ASE promotes radiation-free cardiovascular testing

Morrisville, NC—Citing two recent reports on the dangers of medical radiation by the Sentinel Alert and the US Joint Commission, the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) issued a press release this month promoting alternative methods to radiation-based imaging for use on the heart, such as ultrasound scanning or MRI. The ASE refers to point-of-care use of ultrasound as a much safer technique for imaging of the heart, a method currently used in emergency field care situations and even by astronauts for medical imaging on space stations.

http://www.asecho.org/files/ASE%20Press%20Releases/trade
%20release%20on%20echo%20safety%20final.pdf

Many modalities used together offer a higher diagnosis rate for lung cancer

Austria—Researchers at the University Clinic for Radio-Diagnostics in Vienna, Austria, are studying the combination of several different imaging techniques in order to best detect and evaluate for lung cancer. Dr. Helmut Prosch asserts that different modalities do not compete, but rather complement each other when used where each is most efficient. For example, noninvasive imaging has a lower rate of detecting lymph node metastases whereas PET-CT scanning can work to identify tumors based on metabolic activity that noninvasive imaging misses. It is when a PET-CT scan proves positive that further examination using minimally invasive measures may offer more efficiency in evaluating the tumor. Dr. Prosch cites several examples of give and take such as this one that make interaction of these different modalities the goal in diagnosing for lung cancer.

http://www.european-hospital.com/en/article/8938-CT,_PET-CT,_MRT_and_transthoracic_ultrasound_in_lung_cancer_staging.html

AIUM reports retirement of the ISS Philips HD15000 from 10 years successful use in space

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) celebrates the work career of the Philips HD15000 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The International Space Station Ultrasound Machine survived 10 years intensive use in space without requiring service, including hours of extreme stress situations and challenging protocols during training and research directed by David Martin, BS, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, NASA's lead sonographer. Upon the Philips' recent retirement, a new system, the GE Vivid Q, arrived at the ISS in order to continue the research and training its predecessor began. Read the Philips "obituary" at the AIUM's Sound Waves newsletter, linked below.

http://aium.org/publications/soundWavesWeekly/newsletter.aspx?id=20110831

Intracoronary ultrasound helps avoid heart attack, stroke by predicting vulnerable plaque

Atlanta, GA—A study performed by Emory College and Georgia Institute of Technology is the largest published investigation testing sheer stress and plaque accumulation in humans. The two universities have developed an intracoronary ultrasound technique that can locate vulnerable plaque—plaque that is likely to break apart and cause clots that often result in heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerotic plaque most often builds where it catches in nooks and crannies of the coronary arteries. Just like predicting where sediment will accumulate in a river, researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech use ultrasound to detect where vulnerable plaque will accumulate in the arteries.

http://shared.web.emory.edu/whsc/news/releases/2011/08/predicting-perilous-plaque-via-fluid-dynamics-in-coronary-arteries.html

Twinkling artifact may be useful in identifying patients with implanted mesh

Laurel, MD—A featured discussion on AIUMcommunities.org investigates gray-scale imaging in patients who have had mesh implanted in order to repair an abdominal wall defect. Sonographers and other medical professionals are joining the discussion, wondering whether the twinkling artifact that has been observed by many behind a strongly reflective medium may indicate the presence of a mesh implant in patients who have had this procedure. Visit the link below, or join AIUMcommunities.org, in order to weigh in or listen in on the discussion.

http://www.aiumcommunities.org/group/aiumjournalclub/forum/topic/
show?id=3711877%3ATopic%3A29262&xg_source=msg

DICOM Standards Committee working to develop standards for image data presentation

Washington, DC—The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Standards Committee, which develops the standards for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting medical imaging information, is meeting in Washington, DC, August 30–31, 2011, in order to draft a new standard for multidimensional image data presentation. A new stipulation regarding the storage of 3- and 4-dimensional image data was introduced in 2009, and now a DICOM subcommittee is working to develop a standard for how that data will be presented to users when it is retrieved from storage for reference. Read more about DICOM and its projects at its homepage, linked below.

http://dicom.nema.org/

Ultrasound offers essential tremor treatment

Charlottesville, VA—Researchers at the University of Virginia have developed a technology they've dubbed magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) that can help stop persistent tremors. At UVA's recently dedicated Focused Ultrasound Center, neuroscientists are marrying magnetic resonance imaging and focused ultrasound to carefully deliver sound waves to parts of the brain that cause tremors. The noninvasive, outpatient procedure results in only mild side effects such as cramping, if any, and leaves patients able to resume normal activity the day after it is performed. Researchers hope to use MRgFUS to effect change in treatments for other neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and stroke.

http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2011/08/899a.html

July 2011

Cloaking device successfully hides events in time

Ithaca, NY— Using physical principles familiar to sonographers, researchers at Cornell University have developed a technique for hiding actual events in time, bounding from the idea that objects may be hidden from visible light using invisibility cloaking technology. Rather than change the shape of a light wave through diffraction in order to cloak an object, physicists at Cornell can effectively alter a light wave's movement through dispersion using two halves of a time lens to create a 110-nanosecond-long "hole in time" that masks events taking place between the two lens halves. Though the maximum amount of time researchers predict this technology can afford for hiding events may be just 120 nanoseconds, it offers a fascinating new look to the future for event-cloaking investigation.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/07/18/physicists-create-a-hole-in-time-to-hide-events/

One-way sound transmission device could allow for exciting new technologies

Pasadena, CA—At the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), researchers are developing the first tunable unidirectional acoustic diode. The device allows for control of sound wave transmission—researchers can limit transmission to just one direction, making true architectural sound proofing possible. But the studies at Caltech have been focusing on another potential advantage brought to light by the new technology—that of energy harvesting. Undesirable run-off sound energy from machinery in the form of vibrations could be received and translated into electricity using the one-way acoustic diode.

http://authors.library.caltech.edu/22944/

Read a summary of Caltech's one-way transmission studies at eScienceNews.com:

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/07/26/caltech.engineers.
develop.1.way.transmission.system.sound.waves

United Healthcare now offers reimbursement for MSK ultrasound procedures

Laurel, MD—As recently as April, United Healthcare was still denying payment for musculoskeletal ultrasound examinations. After careful intervention from AIUM President Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD, demonstrating the value of MSK ultrasound and growing literature surrounding its uses, however, United has reversed its decision and will begin reimbursing MSK examinations. To read a short history of the decisions surrounding reimbursement, visit the AIUM Communities forum linked below.

http://www.aiumcommunities.org/group/musculoskeletal/forum/
topics/united-is-denying-dx-msk-us-of?page=1&commentId=
3711877%3AComment%3A27666&x=1#3711877Comment27666

SDMS offers free promotional materials for this year's Ultrasound Awareness Month

Plano, TX—October is Ultrasound Awareness Month! National ultrasound organizations like the SDMS, AIUM, ARDMS, and ASE join together each October in expanding the public's knowledge of clinical ultrasound, its uses and its advances. The SDMS has fashioned a repertoire of educational and promotional materials for medical professionals to use in their own facilities in order to promote Ultrasound Awareness Month along with their accrediting and licensing mother organizations.

http://www.sdms.org/resources/muam/default.asp

Bracco voluntarily recalls its CardioGen-82 generator

Washington, DC—When the US Food and Drug Administration advised the national medical community to stop using the CardioGen-82 generator from Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. in mid-July, the ultrasound technology company voluntarily issued a recall for the scanning device. The new technology's risk potential for unnecessary radiation exposure, though the FDA admits it is minimal, has led the organization to nevertheless recommend that medical professionals use alternatives to the CardioGen-82 generator when performing PET and nuclear medicine scans.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm265278.htm

ASE LinkedIn group now open to the public

Morrisville, NC—Now all members of the employment networking website LinkedIn can view and share with the American Society of Echocardiography group. Previously, LinkedIn members were required to apply to be accepted as members of the specialty LinkedIn group for the ASE. Now, the ASE has made their LinkedIn group public so that any LinkedIn member may participate freely in the group's discussions, events, and other posts. If you are a LinkedIn member, check out the new public ASE group page at the link below.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/American-Society-Echocardiography
-is-now-55219.S.65297028?qid=ad9237f2-7859-44b2-b2f9-
aaea5c18ea07&goback=%2Egde_55219_member_65297028
%2Egmp_55219

Abnormal stress echo findings in HIV patients can determine risk for heart attack

Dallas, TX—The American Heart Association published a study in its July 2011 periodical Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging regarding risk of heart attack in HIV patients. Researchers have found that a form of ultrasound of the heart, known as stress echocardiography, can help to determine this risk in HIV patients. Stress echo images heart functions during rest and stress situations and compares the two. The study found that HIV patients with abnormal stress echos were ten times more likely to experience cardiac arrest or a fatal heart attack than the normal population, and three times more likely than patients without HIV who have abnormal stress echos.

http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/1378.aspx

ACR works to limit national imaging budget cuts

Washington, DC—The American College of Radiology reports on the recent letter opposing proposed cuts to diagnostic imaging budgets. The ACR and AMIC (Access to Medical Imaging Coalition) garnered signatures for the letter and a group of bipartisan senators sent it off to the Obama Administration hoping to educate Members of Congress on the indispensability and future potential of the medical imaging field, proposing instead efficiency of patient care through more widely issued appropriateness criteria and clinical guidelines.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/
Senators-Send-ACR-Backed-Letter-to-President-Obama-No-
More-Imaging-Cuts.aspx

Reminder of important test center update from ARDMS

Rockville, MD—The ARDMS reminds its constituents that when sitting for their exams their name as it appears on the ID they provide must match their name exactly as it appears on their examination-confirmation letter. If the name is different in any way, candidates must update their name record with the ARDMS immediately. Candidates must complete a Name Change Request Form and return it to the ARDMS by fax, email, or regular post. Click the link below to view the full update reminder at the ARDMS website homepage.

http://www.ardms.org/

AIUM offers go-to information for patients

Laurel, MD—Despite careful explanations from their technologists and doctors, patients may still have worries or questions regarding an ultrasound procedure for which they have been referred. The AIUM has crafted 14 different ultrasound examination explanations to which medical professionals may refer their patients for more information about their exams. Choose from the drop-down menu at the link below from common ultrasound examinations like abdomen, breast, fetal echo, prostate, and thyroid in order to address frequently asked questions that a patient may have regarding their procedure.

http://www.aium.org/patients/aboutExam.aspx

June 2011

IAC updates online accreditation form

Ellicott City, MD—The Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), parent organization for ICAVL and ICAEL among other imaging societies, has announced recent changes to its online accreditation process. In its most recent email newsletter, IAC states that the changes are largely transparent to users, but will benefit candidates with enhancements such as direct links to the appropriate Standards within most questions, streamlined application questions, improved case study and QA submission, and the ability to upload all required protocols and attachments to the form.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=
0dc31ffb3848599f1deb0fd00&id=b92754838c&e=d5755f5b35

SVU announces volunteer opportunity

Lanham, MD—The Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) has announced the formation of a new committee that will be accepting volunteers. The Media Development Committee will work to cultivate webinars and social media strategies as well as research other media implementations. Contact SVU Executive Director Steve Haracznak at steveh@svunet.org by July 1, 2011, for more information. If you are a member of LinkedIn, log in to access the announcement through the SVU group, linked below.

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAnd
Answers=&discussionID=59199337&gid=2613295&commentID
=-1&trk=eml-anet_ancmt-b-0

CCI changes to RCIS credential prerequisite

Raleigh, NC—Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) plans to remove the RCIS1 qualification, an on-the-job training prerequisite that stipulates a candidate may apply for the RCIS credential with just two years full-time or full-time equivalent work experience in Invasive Cardiovascular Technology. CCI supports formal education in this field of practice and will alter the on-the-job training prerequisite effective July 1, 2013. Candidates must submit their applications by or before June 30, 2013, to be considered under the current RCIS1 qualification. Read the official CCI press release here:

http://www.cci-online.org/content/sunset-on-the-job-training-as-qualification-pathway-for-rcis

Review the full, current qualification list for the RCIS credential at the link below:

http://www.cci-online.org/node/248

VASC reconvenes in Pasadena

Pasadena, CA—The Vascular Association of Southern California (VASC), the southern California chapter of the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU), is re-establishing itself with a meeting at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena on Tuesday, June 28, 2011. Sponsored by GE Healthcare and Covidien, the educational lecture is titled Isolated Thrombolysis for the Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis. Lee Ann Navarro, RVT, President of VASC, encourages attendees to bring job postings to the meeting.

http://daviespublishing.com/newsfeeds/VASC_Flyer.pdf

ARRT launches new improved website

St. Paul, MN—The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has just launched its newly designed website featuring Flash with imbedded video, links, tabs, and intuitive navigation. These and other improvements make the ARRT website much more user-friendly, although you may wish to familiarize yourself with the new layout as the locations of much valuable material have changed.

https://www.arrt.org/

Sitting can be deadly

San Francisco, CA—CBS 5 in San Francisco compares sitting for long periods of time with smoking as a long-term factor in common health risks like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Like smoking, sitting for hours at a desk job becomes the average for countless people. But sitting is a habit that most don't consider a serious health risk, especially compared with that of smoking. Both conventions, however, may be equally detrimental to one's longstanding health. Researchers encourage desk workers to stand and move about whenever possible, perhaps while answering the phone or delivering a message, use the stairs instead of an elevator, and take frequent breaks and walks to counteract the effects of stasis in the workplace.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/06/08/healthwatch-sitting-vs-smoking/#.TfFcefPCyzw;email

ARDMS announces new RMSK credential

Rockville, MD—The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has announced the official initialism—RMSK—for the upcoming musculoskeletal sonography credential currently in development. The Job Task Analysis survey, designed to assess the ways in which facilities currently use musculoskeletal ultrasound, was launched in February 2011 and is now complete. The ARDMS will soon be releasing the RMSK content outline for posting on its website, and a pilot version of the exam is set for release in early 2012 with the first finalized registry exam set for late 2012. Read the full ARDMS announcement at the link below:

http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/e7bf99fcb0fd4bea86d3f1
a8d1df0917.htm

Read more about the RMSK exam development process at the ARDMS webpage linked here:

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?contentID=1014

Doppler ultrasound evaluates for milk allergy in babies

Leesburg, VA—A study published in the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) American Journal of Roentgenology reports that Doppler ultrasound may be used to determine cow milk allergy in babies. By using Doppler to evaluate thickness and blood-vessel density in the bowel walls of infants ranging from newborn to 6 months, a team of Brazilian researchers established a vessel density cut-off point of 18.7 percent. Using this criterion to determine whether an infant was cow milk–allergic, researchers experienced over 80% sensitivity and almost 95% specificity, estimating from the results of their study that between 2 and 7.5 percent of infants worldwide are born with a cow milk allergy. Read the free abstract for the article at the link below:

http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/abstract/196/6/W817

Read a summary of the article at DiagnosticImaging.com, linked below:

http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/ultrasound/content/article/
113619/1879094

ARDMS posts recent credentialing developments

Rockville, MD—The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has posted two new alerts for its constituents regarding changes in ICAVL and ABS credentialing stipulations. The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) requires that technical vascular staff be VT-credentialed by 2017 in order to practice. The American Board of Surgery (ABS) reports that in 2014 the ARDMS RPVI credential will be required as a prerequisite for application to its Vascular Surgery Qualifying Examination. The ARDMS news post provides links to comprehensive informational pages detailing both of these updates.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?contentID=1055

ARDMS employs new testing system

Rockville, MD—The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has switched to a new testing technology platform. The new system does not change exam appearance or content, but does allow for enhancements in exam management, security, and services. Through Pearson VUE test centers, new locations for test sites have been added internationally in Hong Kong, Brazil, Mexico City, and US territories like Guam and the American Samoa. More test sites will be added all year long. Additionally, exam scheduling has become more streamlined. To optimize exam security, new identification stipulations such as required matching IDs and palm vein scans are now in place. Read the full ARDMS-issued update at the ARDMS website, linked below.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?contentID=1053

Ultrasound scanning allows for early detection of venous insufficiencies

Chattanooga, TN—Currently, venous leg ulcers are the most frequently occurring type of chronic wound found in the US, most commonly caused by simple venous insufficiency. When one-way venous valves begin to break down, the path of deoxygenated blood back to the heart is obstructed, causing congestion and eventually leaks, which create a source of infection that leaves the patient vulnerable to ulcer formation. One of the best ways to detect venous insufficiency before an ulcer forms is by early ultrasound screening using compression scanning of leg veins together with Doppler ultrasonography to evaluate for telltale flow irregularities. Early identification of venous insufficiency opens options for ulcer-prevention procedures like ablations, sclerotherapy, and outpatient injectables.

http://www.mdnews.com/news/2011_06/05788_junejuly2011_
venous-insufficiency-ulcerations

Ultrasound in nature—scientists report new discoveries in dolphin echolocation

Sweden—Dolphins utilize echolocation—the emitting of high-frequency ultrasonographic waves from specialized organs—to map out their location and surroundings based on sound reverberations from nearby objects. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden working with scientists in San Diego, California, have discovered that dolphins can emit two different sound beam projections at separate frequencies, and in different directions. The origin of the separate sound beams is undetermined, and could result from two different organs producing sound or even complex reverberations within the dolphin's skull produced by just one organ. Visit the original Lund University information page, roughly translatable to English from Swedish in most internet browsers, at the link below:

http://www.lth.se/havsportalen/projekt/delfinsonar/

Read a summarized article at eScienceNews.com here:

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/06/07/dolphins.use.double.sonar

SDMS 2011 annual elections open this month

Plano, TX—The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) is holding its 2011 annual elections this month entirely online. SDMS members may click the link below to view candidates' statements and vote for President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as several positions for At-Large Directors or on the Finance and Nominating Committees. Cast your vote between Wednesday, June 1, 2011, and Thursday, June 30, 2011.

http://vote.sdms.org/ElectionInformation.aspx

May 2011

ACOG reports on antibiotics safety study

Washington, DC—The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has commented in a May news release on a National Birth Defects Prevention Study published in 2009. The study suggested that two antibiotics commonly used to treat urinary tract infections during pregnancy may increase risk of first trimester birth defects. But the ACOG calls the study unreliable, as it faced several limitations. Because of its purely observational nature, it is impossible to tell whether the birth defects recorded in the study were caused by antibiotic use or the infection itself, or even some other factor. The ACOG also points out that the study lends itself directly to patient recall bias. Ultimately, the ACOG approves safe use of these antibiotics for treatment of bacterial infection during pregnancy, and maintains that teratogenic substances—certain metals like lead and mercury, radiation, alcohol, cocaine, and some prescription medications—are those that bear clearer danger.

http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr05-23-11.cfm

ACR launches Dose Index Registry

Reston, VA—In efforts to optimize dosage of radiation in CT scans, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has developed the Dose Index Registry, a division of the ACR National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR). This new resource hopes to encourage lowering CT doses to just the amounts necessary for providing clear images, allowing facilities to anonymously submit dosage statistics and compare them against the norms of other similar facilities. Once a facility has submitted dose information, the NRDR online portal delivers periodic reports that the facility can then use to identify necessary changes in its scanning dosage regimen.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/ACR-Launches-Dose-Index-Registry.aspx

New bladder imaging method fully automated, cheap, convenient

Seattle, WA—Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a small endoscope and accompanying translating software that can be used to create a 3D map of the bladder. One of the most expensive and uncomfortable cancers to treat, bladder cancer is also one of the most common, with tumors recurring in more than half of patients and requiring yearly checkup scans that can only be performed by specialized urologists. But the new technology developed at UW will enable any technician to perform these yearly checkup scans without compromising on quality. A fully automated software system is set to interpret data collected pixel by pixel from the head of an ultra-thin endoscope, roughly the size of one strand of angel-hair pasta. The data would create a 3D map resembling those found in leading-edge web application Google Earth, which could be reviewed by a urologist remotely as well as delivered digitally at any time.

http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/digital-imaging-software-to-create-a-2018google-earth2019-view-of-the-bladder

SVU endorses efforts to increase awareness of workplace injury

Lanham, MD—Starting this year, Sound Ergonomics has named May PRISM (PReventing Injury in Sonography Month). A Washington-based consultation organization, Sound Ergonomics, LLC provides work site assessments and development of ergonomic programs for diagnostic imaging professionals with the aim to decrease injury in the workplace. The Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) encourages Sound Ergonomics' efforts to increase awareness of the importance of ergonomic scanning for ultrasound professionals, providing an informational page discussing PRISM at its website. Click below for the original PRISM announcement released by Sound Ergonomics.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs047/1101881205049/
archive/1104784452713.html

Toward lung regeneration—report of a groundbreaking study

A report and an accompanying editorial in the May 5, 2011, edition of the New England Journal of Medicine hold promise for tissue regeneration in patients with lung disease through use of adult human lung stem cells. Kajstura et al. for the first time isolated a distinct line of stem cells from adult human lungs that, following clonal expansion, can regenerate all components of injured mouse lung and are, “astonishingly,” capable “of organizing apparently complete respiratory units in vivo within 14 days, including conducting airways and vessels.” We report this news because of its enormously promising implications for further research, treatment, and bioengineering in human lung disease.

Kajstura J, Rota M, Hall SR, et al: Evidence for human lung stem cells. NEJM 364:1795–1806, 2011.
Chapman HA: Toward lung regeneration. NEJM 364:1867–1868, 2011.

View the abstracts at the New England Journal of Medicine website linked below:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1101800

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1101324

New ultrasound/MRI technology achieves better targeting for prostate biopsy

Los Angeles, CA—At the University of California Los Angeles, four departments—urology, radiology, pathology, and biomedical engineering—have collaborated to test a new technology that combines MRI and ultrasound in order to better target biopsy sites in the prostate. Current nontargeted biopsy methods date back to the 1980s. Researchers hope to better distinguish between benign and possibly malignant tissues to determine the best site for biopsy.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/PRN-new-technology-fuses-ultrasound-200438.aspx

ARDMS random audit for CME credit complete

Rockville, MD—The ARDMS has completed its random CME audit of registrants who earned credit during the January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010, triennium. Registrants who received a notice of audit submitted proof of CME credit by April 30, 2011, and can access their audit results through the MY ARDMS portal. Official notification of audit results will be sent via first-class mail by June 30, 2011, and those who missed the April 30, 2011, deadline for submission of CME credit certificates must follow reinstatement procedures by August 1, 2011, in order to retain their active credential status. Click the link below for the full ARDMS-issued update.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?contentID=850

Sonographers in need of credit to satisfy their CME requirements for the upcoming triennium will find Davies' CME options affordable and fast. Click the link below to view our complete list of CME component publications and interactive media programs:

http://daviespublishing.com/CME-Activities-C54.aspx

Ultrasound offers a safer alternative to CT and MRI scanning

Israel—Dr. Michael Vaiman at the Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine recently performed a study comparing the quality of CT and ultrasound scans when imaging the throat in order to locate vertebral arteries, a preparation measure necessary for neck surgery. With 500 ultrasound scans and 250 CTs, Dr. Vaiman determined that the ultrasound images served just as well as CTs in locating arteries. But ultrasound offers some very exciting advantages—its noninvasive nature lessens risk of complication during the procedure as well as infection risk postprocedure, and it introduces no proven-harmful radiation to the patient. Dr. Vaiman concludes that ultrasound could offer a safer means of imaging across all modalities.

http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=14475

AIUM welcomes 29th president Dr. Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD

Laurel, MD—The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) announces its new president, Dr. Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, and professor of radiology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Abuhamad released his official Letter to Members in this week's AIUM Sound Waves Weekly detailing personal goals for his term of office as well as general goals for the AIUM community at large.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=lwismrbab&v=
001ritck83OfZm1580SPtWxZgGRo7COySvfwlMDKC6aK_RB1
gI8vnZjK0c8CH5rfVH7fnWtHguwccYn_2FKfD48eesUyGCKRBB
SL53umIz3dBfioe3HuBtLsBOGjzrQk44Q

New ultrasound-based electromechanical wave imaging aids in detecting arrhythmia

New York, NY—Researchers at Columbia University's School of Engineering are developing a new imaging system that achieves the best of both worlds—noninvasive and direct detection of heart arrhythmias—while other current methods are direct and invasive, or noninvasive and less direct. Based on ultrasound imaging technology, electromechanical wave imaging (EWI) investigates minute deformations following the electrical activation of the heart in order to detect arrhythmias. While current solutions to arrhythmias exist, including pacemakers, ablation using catheters, and surgically placed pace leads, EWI could help determine which of these methods is most appropriate for each patient or identify more precisely the preferred positioning for pacemakers, catheters, or pace leads in these procedures. EWI offers an added advantage in that because the new technology is ultrasound-based it is easily translatable to ultrasound devices already functioning within hospitals. It can be modified at little cost for operation using existing ultrasound units as small as a smartphone.

http://www.bme.columbia.edu/eekweb/journals/2009-IEEE-JP.pdf

Sonography aids in early detection of juvenile inflammatory arthritis

Bronx, NY—A potentially debilitating juvenile disease, juvenile inflammatory arthritis (JIA), is currently assessed manually with physical examinations. If detected in early stages, JIA is treatable, averting later joint damage and overall disability. Researchers at the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, have studied the efficacy of power Doppler in conjunction with physical examination in detecting presence of JIA at earlier stages to improve treatment and avoid disagreeable long-term effects.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/05/05/sonography.complements
.physical.exam.identifying.juvenile.inflammatory.arthritis.children

CARE Bill lacks a strong legislative representative to push through Congress

St. Paul, MN—The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), along with 26 other professional national organizations, supports the CARE (Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence) Bill, currently on the table in Congress awaiting further review and approval. The ASRT, a forerunning champion of the bill, chronicles a brief history of the bill's journey through Congress at its website online. Additionally, the bill has made news in the New York Times as part of a 13-month series on radiation overdose errors, helping to build awareness and momentum for action in Congress.

View ASRT's Care Bill History at the link below:

https://www.asrt.org/content/GovernmentRelations/LegislativeGuidebook/
careradcarehistory.aspx

Review the recent New York Times article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/health/28radiation.html?_r=1

April 2011

Take the SDMS member technology survey

Plano, TX—The SDMS has released its 2011 Member Technology Survey, designed to help the national society determine how its members utilize computers, eBooks, smart phones, tablets like the IPad, and other modalities in their daily and professional lives. The survey will affect SDMS continuing education opportunities and how members receive news and updates as well as how the society adapts its own infrastructure to serve its members more efficiently. Complete the survey in just a few minutes before May 9th at the link below.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SDMStechsurvey

AIUM reports on recent 2011 annual convention

Laurel, MD—The AIUM reports highlights from its April 2011 annual convention in this week's issue of its email newsletter, Sound Waves Weekly. Read a recap on the live Tweets sent from the convention floor, the Mock Trial on ultrasound safety, and various award allotments at the link below.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=lwismrbab
&v=001gKIdF6_QMym0qgZ-KANGeMuEvn_VohNzfPqMS
SBSIHo2BtXdv99PknLLrlEBFqlxnfycYdWgZEcptHGVImOKbz
BwNnN1MPV3rNB2uUW-3wTD2V2kngmhJUlD2vgGmhDG

New online image resource offers unprecedented views of the brain

Seattle, WA—The Allen Institute for Brain Science based in Seattle, Washington has developed a huge-scale interactive computerized image atlas of the brain and its biochemical functions. The first of its kind in detail and size, the atlas offers a comprehensive map of the human brain, including over 1000 cataloged anatomical landmarks and the thousands of genes that are linked to them. More than four years and $50 million in the making, the atlas is far from finished, but remains a free resource for physicians studying brain disease at www.brain-map.org, supplementing the three-dimensional interactive image database with computational tools for interpretation and data analysis.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703518704
576258842075419366.html

ARDMS 2011 CME random audit in progress

Rockville, MD—The ARDMS has begun its official 2011 random audit for continuing medical education credits earned during the January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2010 three-year CME period. The ARDMS will send notification of audit by email and post as well as online through your MY ARDMS account. Instructions for providing proof of CME completion are posted on the ARDMS website and can be viewed at the informational page linked below.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?contentID=850

Ultrasound and gender selection in Asia

Asia—The Economist (April 7th, 2011) reports that the news from India's 2011 census is almost all good. One exception is the declining number of females among children 6 years of age and younger. Were gender selection completely natural, an additional 600,000 girls would have been born each year. The decline cannot be attributed to government policy; unlike China, democratic India has no one-child rule. Nor is the decline associated with poverty. Gender imbalance is greatest in some of India's wealthiest states. The cause is social and cultural gender preferences. Wealthier and more educated couples take advantage of ultrasonographically identified gender to selectively abort female fetuses in favor of males—in spite of the fact that India bans not only the use of ultrasound for the sole purpose of gender identification but also gender-selective abortions. The good news, according to the census report, is that in the worst-affected regions the gender balance is becoming less distorted and that "Census 2011 is perhaps an indication that the country has reached a point of inflection."

http://www.economist.com/node/18530101?story_id=18530101
&CFID=162125085&CFTOKEN=99851776

AIUM Journal Club forum offers monthly discussions

Laurel, MD—The Journal Club is an online AIUM community at AIUMcommunities.org that investigates one article from the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (JUM) each month, opening the article up to members and nonmembers alike for free discussion. The Journal Club currently includes 168 physicians, educators, students, and technicians and provides free access to a PDF version of the monthly featured article for participants' review. AIUM members can sign up to join the discussion today, and nonmembers may submit a club membership request and qualify in just a few days.

http://www.aiumcommunities.org/group/aiumjournalclub

Ultrasound-guided plasma injections promote healing in chronic conditions

San Antonio, TX—Dr. Emily Pineda at the South Texas Arthritis Care Center has developed an ultrasound-guided procedure that delivers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to nonhealing tissues in patients who suffer from chronic injuries or degenerative musculoskeletal conditions. Used successfully in maxillofacial surgery, dentistry, and plastic and reconstructive surgery already, it seemed to Dr. Pineda to be a natural step to use PRP in order to manage musculoskeletal conditions like lateral epicondylitis, iliotibial band syndrome, patellar tendonitis, and osteoarthritis that cause chronic pain without resorting to invasive surgery.

http://www.mdnews.com/news/2011_04/05723_apr2011_revolutionary-tissue-healing

Systematic approach to fetal ultrasound education improves performance

San Diego, CA—A study reported in the April issue of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine (JUM) found that technicians and physicians who received detailed systematic instruction and practiced manipulating more than 10 volumes were able to obtain better palate images in 2D and 3D fetal facial ultrasounds. The study team, led by Dr. Gladys Ramos at the University of California, San Diego, concludes that a standardized teaching method for physicians and clinicians using ultrasound for fetal review can significantly improve accuracy of fetal abnormality diagnosis, despite traditional training limitations of its clinical implementation.

http://www.jultrasoundmed.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/4/473?
maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=3d+fetal+instruction
&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=
relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

ICAEL accreditation now available online

Ellicott City, MD—The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL), a member division of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), now offers an easily accessible and user friendly online accreditation application to its diagnostic imaging community, free of charge.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0dc31ffb3848599f1deb0fd00&id=8f90834a7c&e=d5755f5b35

Some ARDMS examination dates temporarily unavailable

Rockville, MD—The ARDMS has posted a short announcement about recent systems upgrades that have made registration for exam dates after May 31, 2011 temporarily unavailable. Questions can be directed to the ARDMS through its online contact form. See the ARDMS homepage linked below for the full update.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?ContentID=1&menubar=1

SDMS President's blog reports on the 20th annual Diagnostic Ultrasound Symposium

Plano, TX—SDMS President Charlotte Henningsen, MS, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDMS, reports from time to time on news from the ultrasound community in her SDMS President's blog. Recent posts include updates on her own personal spring garden laden with herbs and tomatoes, as well as her various experiences at and reflections on conferences in Chicago and Ohio. At the 20th annual Diagnostic Ultrasound Symposium in Perrysburg, Ohio, Henningsen met with several ultrasound pioneers including Dr. Frederick Kremkau, author of the classic textbook in its 8th edition Sonography: Principles and Instruments. SDMS members can access the blog in the members-only area of the SDMS website linked below.

http://www.sdms.org/members/default.asp

ACR now offers accreditation for mobile ultrasound units

Reston, VA—Mobile ultrasound units that provide services at multiple locations can now be accredited through the American College of Radiology (ACR). Inquiries can be emailed to Theresa Branham at tbranham@acr.org or Carolyn MacFarlane at cmacfarlane@acr.org. Click the link below for the full ACR-issued update.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/ACR-Mobile-Services.aspx

NEJM reports a study on treatments for Turner's syndrome

Waltham, MA—While currently human growth hormone is commonly used to treat short stature associated with Turner's syndrome, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reports a study comparing treatments that combine growth hormone with low-dose estradiol, an estrogen, in order to better determine the efficiency of growth hormone in treating short stature versus the efficiency and potential additional benefits of estrogen treatment. The recent double-blind placebo-controlled trial showed that both treatments work to increase adult height, though low-dose estrogen groups experienced greater height advancements, and estradiol treatments may offer other benefits potentially improving ovarian function.

Ross JL, Quigley CA, Cao D, et al: Growth hormone plus childhood low-dose estrogen in Turner's syndrome. NEJM 364:1230–1242, 2011.

http://www.nejm.org/

Kansas follows New Mexico in requiring sonographers to be credentialed

Topeka, KS—Kansas joins New Mexico and Oregon as a state that has considered requiring licensure for ultrasound technicians, and in a recent 2011 session the House Committee approved and the Governor signed House Bill 2029. The bill classifies ultrasound technicians as "charitable health care providers" and under this name requires that practicing sonographers be licensed with the ARRT, ARDMS, or CCI and operate under the supervision of a licensed physician.

http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/year1/
measures/documents/hb2029_01_0000.pdf

March 2011

New ultrasound flow imaging modality improves detection of heart defects in newborns

Norway—The Medical Imaging Laboratory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, has two promising ultrasound research studies underway. The first involves a new real-time flow-imaging modality called blood flow imaging (BFI). BFI adds angle-independent display of blood speckle movement to conventional color Doppler ultrasonography, the combination of which is able to image blood flow in any direction and is not limited by velocity aliasing. The performance of BFI is being compared to that of color Doppler imaging in visualizing ASD (atrial septal defect) flow in children and pulmonary veins in newborns. The use of BFI in guiding transcatheter device closure of ASD is also being studied by the Laboratory. In addition, the Laboratory is studying plane wave imaging in high frame rate flow imaging of neonates with congenital heart disease. Linear array transducers from which plane unfocussed beams are emitted are used to avoid image artifacts and to increase frame rate, receiving 16 image lines in parallel for each plane transmit pulse. Flow is visualized by the combination of color Doppler imaging and BFI. Initial results indicate a substantial increase in frame rate with preservation of flow image quality.

http://www.ntnu.no/isb/doppler

Rethinking efficiency of current ICU triage systems

New York, NY—A Wall Street Journal Health Care Innovations article reports recent refinements in ICU heath care. With impending and already existing budget cuts and an expected significant increase in incoming patients, the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, is leading the charge with a recently devised triage system that admits patients to the ICU only after a thorough investigation into whether they truly need intensive care. A common problem in ICU units across the country is overadmission, a dilemma that Dr. Vladimir Kvetan, head of critical care at Montefiore since 1999, began solving with better evaluations of patients before they are admitted to the ICU. Dr. Kvetan has employed a team of 28 intensivists—medical specialists who focus on evaluating critical care patients—working on a rapid-response schedule with an "ICU Without Walls" mobile terminal to administer emergency care or palliative care for terminal patients, freeing up precious hospital bed space for more critical patients. Since employing Dr. Kvetan's new triage system, the overall mortality rate at Montefiore dropped from 3.5% in 1997 to 1.8% in 2009, with the medical and surgical ICU mortality rate falling from 36% in the 1980s to less than 8% in 2004. While intensivists are few and far between, with only 46% of US hospitals having even one board-certified intensivist available around the clock, perhaps this type of specialization and delegation provides the key to efficiency and minimizing hospital turf wars, as well as quality of care. Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal website linked below.

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/03/28/a-bronx-hospital-
reinvents-the-intensive-care-unit/?KEYWORDS=melinda+beck

Regular sonograms useful in verifying correct IUD positioning

Dallas, TX—While gynecologists typically perform pelvic and speculum exams after placing an intrauterine device (IUD), obstetricians at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas suggest that regular sonograms may reveal malpositioned IUDs after time has passed. While IUDs provide an extremely effective form of birth control, incorrect positioning can result in pregnancy, and regular surveillance of IUD movement within the body using simple noninvasive ultrasound imaging may help to prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as reduce risk in the event of an accidental pregnancy.

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept353744/files/633640.html

Johns Hopkins University champions checklists for fighting infection

New York, NY—Dr. Peter Pronovost, medical director for Johns Hopkins University's Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care, hopes to revise safety and quality of care standards for the better by promoting innovation and collaboration in reducing infection-related deaths. With a mortality rate of more than 30,000 patients a year, infection demands special attention. This mortality rate—almost on par with that of breast cancer—may be easily and dramatically reduced by following simple protocol checklists when treating patients postprocedure. Dr. Pronovost hopes to encourage a collaborative environment of checks and balances in which nurses and pharmacists will not be timid about correcting a doctor who does not follow a simple infection-control checklist. Currently these clinicians report clear reluctance to question physicians, even in the interest of patient safety.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870436400457
6131963185893084.html?KEYWORDS=Laura+landro

Ultrasound technology used for stroke detection

Fairfax, VA—A medical device recently developed by US Navy sonar experts utilizes ultrasound to diagnose and monitor stroke victims with a simple headset and portable computer console, making it ideal for point-of-care situations such as in emergency disaster and military environments. The device measures blood flow by calculating the acceleration of the pressure wave emitted by blood pulsing off of the skull.

http://www.sirweb.org/news/newsPDF/114_Submarine_Final.pdf

New innovations in point-of-care ultrasound can make stethoscopes obsolete

New York, NY—Stephanie Simon of the Wall Street Journal reports on point-of-care mobile devices that have improved treatment in various medical modalities. One is a mobile ultrasound device that removes a stethoscope from the equation when monitoring heart rates. The size of a cell phone, the GE Heathcare VScan offers real-time images of the heart that patient and doctor can view simultaneously, rather than just the sometimes scratchy audio of a stethoscope. The uprising trend in smartphone apps, wireless sensors, and other mobile tools allows doctors to utilize point-of-care methods in evaluating patients such as those en route to emergency centers or waiting in hospital emergency rooms without ever being face to face, a method much more efficient than relying on descriptions of patient injuries, symptoms, or reactions by ambulance technicians over a cell phone.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870355960
4576174842490398186.html?KEYWORDS=stephanie+simon

LinkedIn ultrasound society groups offer professional discussions

Mountain View, CA—National sonography organizations are quickly establishing a presence on professional profile site LinkedIn. Join LinkedIn to post your professional profile or resume and connect with ultrasound societies like ACR, ASRT, ARDMS, ASE, and SVU online. When you join these groups, you can take part in discussion forums, keeps yourself updated on important deadlines, and learn about societal events and educational courses.

http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home_top

IAC implements new accreditation auditing policy

Ellicott City, MD—In efforts to further substantiate accreditation standards compliance across all Intersocietal Accredititation Commission (IAC) platforms, beginning this year, IAC-accredited institutions, including those accredited with ICAVL and ICAEL, will receive a random site visit and audit once within every three-year accreditation period. Facilities will be randomly selected, assigned an audit date, and notified with audit procedure instructions.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0dc31ffb3848599f1deb0fd00&id=fa88d93c26&e=d5755f5b35

IFSER welcomes Michael Davies to its advisory board

Mill Creek, WA—The International Foundation for Sonography Education and Research (IFSER) has just named Michael Davies a member of its Advisory Board and honored him with a new advisor profile feature in its spring newsletter. IFSER endeavors to promote advancement and refinement of the sonography field by issuing grants and providing educational opportunities for sonography students and practitioners. Read Mike's profile feature in the newsletter linked below.

http://ifser-cdn-remembers.s3.amazonaws.com/6f121e30122903dd7181
bde398041606.pdf

Advanced student research projects ultilize ultrasound in separate innovative technologies

Troy, NY—Sevan Goenezen and Tristan Lawry of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute find themselves competing for a coveted $30,000 student prize, both with separate original projects relying on ultrasound technology. Goenezen recently completed his complex computation project exploring the advantages of breast screening using ultrasound, chronicling a less invasive and uncomfortable procedure that eliminates the biopsy step necessary to determine whether a lesion is malignant after a traditional mammogram. Instead, his new technology determines malignancy from the results of an ultrasound procedure, using only a $10,000 ultrasound machine (much less expensive than any current x-ray equipment) and a fairly sophisticated PC. Tristan Lawry's project investigates ultrasound utilized in data transmission through thick metal walls like those found in a submarine, nuclear reactor, oil pipeline, armored vehicle, deep-sea exploration bot, or space shuttle. While current data transmission systems have not overcome the obstacle presented by "Faraday cage" shielding effects in thick-hulled settings, Lawry's system uses ultrasound instead of electromagnetic wireless systems to send and receive data, eliminating the need for extraneous hole-drilling, allowing for hard cable communication, across metal walls already compromised by extreme pressures, like water pressure on a submarine.

http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2834

http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2836&setappvar=page(1)

ACR Image Metrix calls for mammography readers

Reston, VA—The American College of Radiology (ACR) imaging contract research organization ACR Image Metrix calls for temporary mammographers for a three-day period during the months of May, June, and July. Readers will be compensated for travel expenses and labor. Read more about the employment and educational opportunity in the ACR informational article below.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/Image-Metrix-Mammo-Readers-Needed.aspx

Two new research publications available on the ASE website

Morrisville, NC—The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has just posted two new study documents to its website, the 2011 Appropriate Use Criteria for Echocardiography and Current and Evolving Echocardiographic Techniques for the Quantitative Evaluation of Cardiac Mechanics. These articles have been developed with cooperation and input from several national professional organizations in collaboration with the ASE to bring relevant reference materials to the ASE website, free for use by educational and clinical facilities as well as individual students and practitioners.

http://www.asecho.org/i4a/headlines/headlinedetails.cfm?id=212

February 2011

NEJM reports on recent development of point-of-care ultrasound

Waltham, MA—The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reports in its February issue on the growth of point-of-care (POC) ultrasonography—that is, "ultrasonography performed and interpreted by the clinician at the bedside." The Current Concepts article cites two AIUM conferences on compact ultrasonography at which 19 and 45 medical organizations were represented and where topics included obstetric and gynecologic applications, ultrasound-guided procedures, and emergency and critical care ultrasonography. The authors—Christopher L. Moore, MD, and Joshua A. Copel, MD—outline the history and basic technology of ultrasonography, the development of POC ultrasonography as machines have become more compact and accurate and less costly, and the current applications of POC ultrasonography in 22 specialties. The authors conclude that the use of POC ultrasound will continue to grow across disciplines, creating three main challenges: (1) to specify when and how it should be used, (2) to determine the training and assessment necessary to ensure its competent use, and (3) to establish policy and reimbursement schedules that promote its appropriate and effective use.

Moore CL, Copel JA: Current concepts: point-of-care ultrasonography. NEJM 364: 749–757, 2011.

Purchase the original NEJM article at the link below:

https://cdf.nejm.org/ppv/ppv_form.aspx?doi=10.1056/NEJMra0909487&url=http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.
1056/NEJMra0909487&promo=ONFGNP7V

Or access the AIUM press release describing its November 2010 point-of-care ultrasound conference:

http://www.aium.org/pressRoom/viewRelease.aspx?id=167

SDMS opposes proposed cuts to echocardiography funding

Plano, TX—The SDMS recently filed a letter with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially opposing its proposed cuts of 42% to echocardiography reimbursement in addition to previous cuts of 30%. The SDMS fears that cuts of this proportion will force increased costs for imaging services and ultimately reduce quality of patient care in echo departments nationwide.

http://www.sdms.org/pdf/CMSEchoLetter082409.pdf

ARRT clarifies CQ Requirement policy

St. Paul, MN—The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) has issued a clarification of its Continuing Qualifications Requirements (CQR) program, introducing a 10-year time limitation on ARRT certificates. The CQ Requirements are only applicable to certificates earned after January 1, 2011, and do not apply to certificates reinstated before 2011.

https://www.arrt.org/new/2011-02-17-CQRDoesNotApplyToReinstatedPre2011Certificates.html

SVU makes improvements to membership services online

Lanham, MD—Having gone green in 2010 offering online membership services for the first time, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) outlines some recent changes to its online profile system in an informational article. Among other improvements, 2011 membership cards are now attainable online and transaction receipts are now available for any online SVU payments.

http://www.svunet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3708

AIUM announces its ultrasound lecture series in ob-gyn

Laurel, MD—AIUM members can download and view a new ultrasound lecture series in obstetrics and gynecology for free at the AIUM website. The lecture series is intended for educators' use in the classroom, consisting of 31 lectures following nationally accepted policies and procedures in ob-gyn and covering basic ultrasound physics, safety, instrumentation, fetal anatomy and pathology, gynecologic ultrasound, and abnormalities.

http://www.aium.org/misc/lectureSeries.aspx

SVU on the lookout for vascular case studies

Lanham, MD—The Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) asks for submissions of vascular case studies demonstrating anything from common pathology to abnormalities and disease indications. The SVU offers to acknowledge individuals and their labs for their submissions in its web newsletter e-Spectrum as well as during a case presentation at an SVU educational meeting.

http://www.svunet.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3682

Image Gently campaign encourages conservative pediatric imaging
Washington, DC—More than 50 organizations nationwide, including the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), are gathering in support of the Image Gently campaign moving through Congress. First launched in January of 2008, upwards of 6000 medical professionals worldwide have taken the web-drafted pledge, accessible at the Image Gently website, outlining steps including carefully child-sizing for procedures, limiting multiphase scanning, fluoroscopic time, and use of magnification mode, and using lowest pulse rates possible. Read an informational article at the ACR website below.

http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/Image-Gently-Pause-Pulse-Initiative-.aspx

Access the Image Gently official webpage here:

http://www.pedrad.org/associations/5364/ig/

SVU offers scholarships to annual meeting attendees
Lanham, MD—Made possible by a $5000 donation from Phillips Healthcare, the Society for Vascular Ultrasound is sponsoring an essay contest that will award 5 SVU members a $1000 scholarship each. The winners may use the funds to attend the SVU Annual Conference this June in Chicago. Essays must be submitted by March 31, 2011, and contain 300–400 words explaining why SVU should award you one of these scholarships.

http://app.mobilestorm.com/cp/onlinePreview.php?t=MzEwM3w5NDM0N3xtaWtlZGF2aWVzQGRhdmllc3B1Ymxpc2hpbmcu
Y29tfDUyNTEwOXw0NDExMTU2Nnw3NTEwNjI=&n=KRQnYGZt0C5-751062

Join SVU discussion on LinkedIn
Lanham, MD—If you are a member of LinkedIn, you may want to join the new Society for Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) discussion group, currently focused around job opportunity posts, SVU deadline announcements, and seminar and event updates. The most recent post by Zintro.com calls for vascular technologists interested in partaking in fee-based phone consults.

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&srchtype=discussedNews&gid=2613295&item=36585006
&type=member&trk=EML_anet_ac_pst_cmnt

New time-reversal ultrasound technique allows deep tissue imaging

St. Louis, MO—Much like astronomers who project laser beams in order to compensate for atmospheric blurring in telescope imaging, researchers at Washington University in Missouri have created their own biomedical guiding star technique for tissue imaging using an ultrasound beam. While focused light can penetrate only so deep into human tissue without being compromised by scattering, scientists use a guiding ultrasound beam to "tag" light paths that can be retraced backward, virtually eliminating scattering effects. The technique, called time-reversal ultrasonically encoded (TRUE) optical focusing, uses a special phase-conjugating mirror to accurately reverse distortions created when light passes through human tissue.

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/21862.aspx

ARDMS launches Job Task Analysis Survey in preparation for new MSK accreditation
Rockville, MD—The Examination Development Task Force (EDTF) for the newest ARDMS examination in musculoskeletal sonography has launched its detailed Job Task Analysis (JTA) survey, directed to a representative sample of medical professionals to determine the frequency and importance of specific tasks performed in this particular discipline. The complete JTA will finalize the fifth step in the examination development process and fuel assembly of the new MSK exam content outline. Click the link below to sign up for updates on the developing MSK exam and participate in the JTA survey.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?ContentID=1028&menubar=1

Michigan Vascular Association posts new case studies
Harrison Township, MI—The Michigan Vascular Association (MVA) invites both guests and members to access the case study section of its website, where it has added a new case study presented in PowerPoint format.

http://mivascularassociation.weebly.com/case-studies.html

RPVI credential required for Vascular Surgery Qualifying exam starting 2014
Rockville, MD—A recent ARDMS press release states that beginning in 2014 the application process for the Vascular Surgery Qualifying Examination will require previous credentialing as an ARDMS-Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation (RPVI), emphasizing the importance of vascular sonography interpretation in vascular surgery.

http://www.ardms.org/downloads/Press%20Releases/RPVIRequired
VascularSurgeryQualifyingExamination-January2011.pdf

ARDMS outlines its 2011 reinstatement procedures
Rockville, MD—For ARDMS-credentialed medical professionals who missed the December 31, 2010, license renewal deadline, the ARDMS offers a reinstatement option available before February 28, 2011. Licensees can pay the $60 license renewal fee as well as an additional $150 reinstatement fee online at MY ARDMS, linkable below.

http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?ContentID=939&menubar=1

https://myardms.ardms.org/login.aspx