GE brings panoply of products to Chicago.
GE Medical Systems will show up at McCormick Place with a bevy of molecular and functional imaging products. The Waukesha, WI-based vendor will be featuring devices, applications, and radiopharmacy offerings.
The Infinia Hawkeye SPECT/CT fusion imaging system boasts the all-digital Elite detector technology in a one-inch configuration with 95 photomultiplier tubes. Its field of view is 21.25 x 15.75 inches (54 x 40 cm); it has an intrinsic spatial resolution of 4.4 mm, and an intrinsic count rate of 500kcps. It also handles isotopes in the low-, medium-, and high-energy (40-511keV) ranges, providing it the capability to encompass all general-purpose nuclear medicine exams, GE said.
The Infinia Hawkeye has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration, and will be available in December.
The firm is also unveiling the latest release, 1.0, of its Xeleris functional imaging workstation at the conference. Xeleris includes PET and PET/CT applications, as well as Cedars, Emory, 4DMSPECT, and WLCQ optional cardiac packages. It has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA and will be available this quarter, according to the company.
The developer is showcasing its Discovery ST PET/CT system, available in 4-, 8-, and 16-slice CT scanner options, with mobile capabilities also available. Also on tap will be a pair of work-in-progress features, including Advantage 4D CT respiratory gating, and Wide View Discovery ST Advanced applications.
Advantage 4D provides CT visualization of respiratory motion, and can improve the accuracy of ungated PET images used in radiation therapy planning. The product is scheduled to be available in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2004.
The Wide View Discovery ST Advanced application extends the CT and CT attenuation correction to 65 cm, which allows the fusing of a PET/CT image of 65 cm. The larger image provides more anatomical coverage for improved diagnosis and treatment, according to GE. The product is scheduled to be available in the U.S. during the second quarter of next year.
On the radiopharmaceutical front, the vendor is promoting a clutch of items for PET tracer production targeted toward the oncology, cardiology, and neurology markets.
Tracercenter is a turnkey PET tracer production facility with a comprehensive set of products and services to streamline the installation, start-up, and support of tracer distribution and research, GE said. The modular production facility, available now, is relocatable and users can enter the PET tracer market within 120 days of order, according to the company.
GE is spotlighting its PETtrace and MINItrace cyclotrons as well as its Tracerlab chemistry synthesis boxes. The PETtrace cyclotron is a dual-particle unit with the highest production capacity of F-fluoride in the market, GE claims. Its MINItrace cyclotron is a single-particle unit with integrated shielding and a compact size to minimize siting requirements.
The firm’s Tracerlab chemistry synthesis boxes permit automated synthesis as well as back-to-back production runs via disposable cartridges and a 25-minute synthesis time. The cyclotrons and the synthesis boxes are available now worldwide.
