




Healthcare Industry News: Carestream Health
News Release - November 27, 2007
Confirma Previews First Ever Prostate-Specific Computer-Aided-Detection (CAD) System for MRI and Introduces Next-Generation CAD for Breast MRI
The Company is Showcasing New Advances in CADstream(R) and the Access Breast Coil(R) at RSNA in ChicagoCHICAGO--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Confirma®, pioneer and leader in application-specific CAD for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), today announced that it will preview CADstream improved analysis and reporting of the prostate. The prostate application will offer radiologists comprehensive and clinically valuable tools for improved quality, standardization and efficiency in MRI study analysis and reporting. The company also introduced the next generation of CADstream for breast MRI, which features a customizable, BI-RADS®-centric user interface, improved morphology tools and patient monitoring capabilities.
Additionally, the company is previewing the Access Breast Coil®, which delivers high-quality diagnostic capability, flexible interventional access and optimized patient comfort. CADstream for breast and prostate and the Access Breast Coil are being presented at this week’s Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting, the pre-eminent event for introducing new technologies for radiology (November 25-27, Chicago, booth 7950, North Hall).
“CADstream for breast has already proven itself to be indispensable in our practice,” said Dr. A. Joseph Borelli, Jr., president and medical director, MRI at Belfair in Bluffton, SC. “Now, CADstream for prostate is showing great promise, allowing us to confidently map disease within the gland for minimally invasive treatment planning.”
“Over the past five years, CADstream for breast MRI has received broad scale acceptance from the women’s imaging community,” said Wayne Wager, president and CEO, Confirma, Inc. “We believe that prostate research studies and ongoing development with our research sites will help establish CAD within the men’s imaging community. CADstream for prostate MRI will improve the quality, standardization and efficiency of study analysis, interpretation and reporting. CADstream provides physicians valuable tools to improve the detection of cancer and treatment planning.”
CADstream for Prostate MRI
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. The need for prostate health management is growing rapidly, due to the increasing awareness that early detection will lead to long-term survival rates. MR imaging is emerging as an important tool for the noninvasive evaluation of prostate cancer, showing proven sensitivity for staging and determining extent of disease. Prostate MRI is a less invasive procedure using imaging, rather than biopsy first, and enables the physician to target areas of the body more precisely for biopsy planning.
Like Confirma’s CADstream for breast system, CADstream for prostate was designed to provide specific workflow-enhancing tools for prostate MRI analysis and reporting. The system includes image registration, alignment between contrast series and T2 images, and uptake and washout maps. The system also automatically creates multiplanar reformats, subtractions, MIPs and prostate-specific reports.
“CADstream makes analysis and reporting of dynamic contrast MRI possible and practical,” explained Dr. Borelli. “Prior to CADstream, it took me 45 minutes to interpret a breast MRI, which is now down to an average of 15 minutes. I am seeing similar efficiency improvements with CADstream for prostate.”
CADstream for Breast MRI
Demand for breast MRI studies is rapidly increasing, due in part to recently-published clinical studies supporting breast MRI for improved breast cancer detection and the American Cancer Society’s March 2007 recommendation that women with a 20 to 25 percent or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer undergo an annual MRI in addition to mammography. Confirma’s advances in CAD technology help imaging programs improve confidence in MRI and meet the growing demand.
CADstream for breast automates analysis, reporting and interventional planning of studies and promotes standardization with the incorporation of the American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS®), which guides the breast cancer diagnostic routine and decision-making process. Confirma’s next-generation version of CADstream for breast MRI, launched at the RSNA meeting, includes a new customizable BI-RADS-centric user interface that accommodates a variety of user experience levels. Additional CADstream enhancements include therapeutic monitoring capabilities, improved 3D renderings and tools for morphology reporting.
CADstream is currently in use by thousands of physician users at hundreds of breast MRI programs. The July 2007 issue of Radiology published research from the University of Washington and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance indicating that CAD for breast MRI may improve standardization and the analysis of benign and malignant lesions. CADstream was the CAD for breast MRI system used in this study.
Access Breast Coil™
Confirma’s Access Breast Coil provides the optimal balance of high-quality diagnostic capability (high signal-to-noise ratio) with optimized access and patient comfort. Its open design provides flexibility when performing interventional procedures, with both lateral and medial access. Patient comfort is maximized with memory foam and positioning accessories for customized positioning during diagnostic and interventional breast MRI studies.
About Confirma, Inc.
Confirma develops and markets application-specific CAD systems and accessories for magnetic resonance imaging studies (MRI). CADstream is the standard in CAD for MRI, with more than 800 installations and 2,500 users worldwide. Confirma’s approach to CAD is unique: CADstream is developed with specific tools for each application in order to streamline workflow and standardize study analysis. CADstream automates the analysis and interventional guidance of MRI studies, providing higher quality imaging studies, lower costs for radiology practices and improved communication tools for physicians and patients. In its initial application, CADstream was developed to assist in the analysis, interventional guidance and reporting of breast MRI studies. CADstream can be integrated into any workflow scenario, and is compatible with all MRI scanners and PACS.
Confirma supports professional development in MRI and CAD technology through its extensive medical education program, including a newly launched continuing medical education (CME) program for breast MRI through the International Center for Postgraduate Medical Education (ICPME).
Confirma has established partnerships with companies including GE Healthcare, Philips Medical Systems, Bayer HealthCare, Medipattern, Vital Images and Carestream Health. Confirma has partnered with hundreds of imaging centers and corporate partners worldwide since 2003, helping develop more standardized, high performance breast MRI programs that deliver premium patient care. Confirma Europe GmbH opened operations in Berlin to further develop the European market. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized Confirma with the 2006 Industry Innovation and Advancement Award for the U.S. CAD market. For more information, visit www.confirma.com or call 877-811-2356.
Source: Confirma, Inc
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