Siemens Healthcare (www.siemens.com/diagnostics) announced the signing of an agreement today with Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, to integrate the use of laboratory diagnostics, imaging and information technology systems with the intent to improve management of patient care from early detection and diagnosis of diseases or conditions to patient treatment. Under the agreement, Siemens and the Hospital Clinic will initially focus on three specific areas: liver fibrosis, fetal medicine and colon cancer. More

Siemens Healthcare redefined Magnetic Resonance (MR) in Oncology with Tim (Total imaging matrix) technology at the RSNA in Chicago. Siemens offers comprehensive and state-of-the art solutions for Oncology. More

Siemens Healthcare showcases the clinical workflow of breast cancer care at the 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. From early detection and diagnosis through therapy and aftercare, Siemens demonstrates its comprehensive portfolio of innovations for women’s health. More

Hermann Requardt (53) will be the new CEO of the Siemens Healthcare Sector. He will also retain his position as Chief Technology Officer and head of the Corporate Technology department. “Innovation was – and is – one of the main drivers in the Healthcare Sector. Hermann Requardt has the ideal expertise for this business,” said Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens. The Managing Board appointed Michael Sen (40), currently head of the company’s Investor Relations department, as new Healthcare Sector CFO. “We have made extensive investments in our healthcare business in the past, and Michael Sen will decisively contribute to fully develop that potential further on,” added Löscher. The previous Sector CFO, Klaus Stegemann (52), who made outstanding contributions to the Sector’s development in recent years, will take over another management position in operations at Siemens. More

Siemens Healthcare has introduced its new biopsy unit to the market, enhancing the Mammomat Inspiration digital mammography platform with stereotactic breast biopsy. The digital system with basic functions for screening has been on the market since the end of 2007. Since then, it has been installed in countless hospitals and private practices worldwide. The new device with its supplemental biopsy function recently went into operation in Copenhagen and Dortmund. Using the new system, all workflows are performed faster and easier than ever before. More

With the Somatom Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare is introducing a CT scanner that will set new standards regarding speed and dose reduction. The system requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomical details faster than ever before. The Somatom Definition Flash is a new dual-source CT from Siemens, featuring two X-ray tubes that simultaneously revolve around the patient's body. The fastest scanning speed in CT (43 cm/s) and a temporal resolution of 75 ms, enable for example complete scans of the entire chest region in just 0.6 seconds. Thus, patients are no longer required to hold their breath during the exam the way they had in the past. At the same time, the Somatom Definition Flash operates at an extremely reduced radiation dose. For example, a spiral heart scan can be performed with less than 1 millisievert (mSv), whereas the average effective dose required for this purpose usually ranges from 8 mSv to 40 mSv. The new CT scanner will be available for sale in the first quarter of 2009. More

Siemens Healthcare and the Asklepios Hospitals will continue to deepen their cooperation in the information technology (IT) sector. The hospital information system i.s.h.med, installed to date in eight major hospitals of the Asklepios hospital chain, will be expanded by adding elements that further enhance its performance, including a modern user interface with intuitive handling, service-oriented architecture, and a clinical process-management system. The companies will seal their cooperation by signing an agreement within the "Asklepios Future Hospital (AFH)" program today at the Medica in Duesseldorf. More

Siemens Healthcare is presenting one of the most innovative technologies for its Acuson S2000 ultrasound system at the Medica from November 19 – 22, 2008 in Duesseldorf, Germany. The Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging and Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification applications are the first commercially available implementations of ARFI (Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse). Similar to a physical palpation exam, these leading-edge applications represent a new dimension of diagnostic information by interrogating the mechanical strain properties or stiffness of tissue, which may be correlated with pathology. Both applications are particularly suited to evaluating liver tissue. More

At the Medica exhibition in Duesseldorf, Germany, between November 19 and 22, 2008, Siemens Healthcare will be showing iGuide CAPPA , a new solution that supports the physician during minimally invasive needle procedures. By combining an angiographic C-arm system with the electromagnetic navigation system iGuide CAPPA, a new method was developed that enables navigation with very low radiation dose. Prior to the intervention, the Siemens software syngo DynaCT provides the 3D soft tissue images required by the physician. The method uses electromagnetic tracking and facilitates interventions such as precise and quick needle placements – for liver biopsies, for vertebroplasties when stabilizing fractured vertebras, or for cancer pain treatment. More

Siemens Healthcare introduces molecular CT, a new concept in integrated imaging that provides a premium imaging platform, and is a practical solution for today’s shrinking healthcare budget. This new technology, Biograph mCT, represents the evolution of integration in imaging; a CT with molecular capabilities, a PET scanner with unlimited capabilities in CT, and a high performance integrated imager that an be used to achieve true collaboration and cooperation between diagnostic imaging specialties. More