Kathleen M. Dallessio
Wireless RSNA 2002
The 88th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2002) will be held
Sunday, December 1 through Friday, December 6. For the first time
at the RSNA meeting, attendees will be able leave the bulky printed
program book at home and navigate through the week using only their
handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) and infrared beaming
stations located throughout the McCormick Place Convention
Center.
Those wishing to lighten their briefcases can access the entire
scientific program electronically at www.rsna2002.rsna.org,
customize their itineraries, and download it all to their own
"Virtual Briefcase." Using this feature, attendees can schedule and
view selected Scientific Programs and appointments (My Schedule),
as well as maintain a list of technical exhibitors (My Exhibits)
and a personalized floor plan (My Floor Plan). The briefcase also
provides access to various online tools including a translation
program and currency converter. This customized itinerary can be
downloaded to a PocketPC- or Palm OS-based device prior to the
meeting or during the week at one of the infrared beaming stations
located near the RSNA Link Onsite terminals throughout McCormick
Place. Several stations around the convention center will offer
802.11b or "WiFi" protocol connectivity as well. These connections
will use DHCP service to supply IP addresses and Internet access
automatically. Users should note, however, that no electrical
outlets or standard telephone lines will be provided at the RSNA
Link Onsite terminals.
In addition, RSNA 2002 attendees will able to able to receive
free e-mail messages from the Message Center directly on their
e-mail-enabled cell phones or BlackBerry wireless e-mail devices
(Research in Motion, Ltd., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada).
Captaris, a provider of unified communications and mobile
business solutions, is contributing a 100,000-user license of its
Infinite Mobile Delivery software to make this possible.
Scientific Program
Technology is taking center stage in the Scientific Program as
well. Many of the nearly 1700 scientific papers, as well as the 497
scientific posters, 1086 education exhibits, and 134 infoRAD
abstracts will focus on new technologies or new applications for
existing technologies. This year there will be an entire session
focused on methods for evaluating angiogenesis and the effects of
antiangiogenic drugs. Computer-assisted diagnosis, the role of
screening examinations, and the expansion of the role of
radiofrequency (RF) ablation are all expected to take greater
prominence at this year's meeting. But the hottest topic this year,
according to 2002 Program Committee Chairman George S. Bisset, III,
MD, vice-chairman of the Radiology Department and Professor of
Radiology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, is
positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. In fact, Bisset
recently noted that "there has been a virtual explosion in the
number of abstracts accepted that deal with applications of
PET."
New technologies and advanced uses of existing technologies are
two themes that resonate throughout the entire Scientific Program.
The increased use of digital mammography and the role of magnetic
resonance (MR) for dynamic breast studies will be highlighted among
the breast imaging studies. Computed tomography (CT) or "virtual"
colonoscopy and the role of computer-assisted diagnosis will be
featured among the gastrointestinal imaging papers. In the area of
cardiac imaging, the use of CT and MR for the examination of left
ventricular dysfunction, the detection of atherosclerosis, and the
evaluation of myocardial tissue following infarction will be
featured. In vascular imaging, the role of noninvasive studies such
as MR angiography and venography and CT angiography will be
emphasized.
A highlight of this year's InfoRAD will be the demonstration of
and tutorial on Internet2, a next-generation Internet designed to
transmit massive amounts of data instantaneously. It is hoped that
this technology will lead to new applications based on the ability
to control, feel, and manipulate devices at a distance. The program
"Next Generation Internet, Internet2 and the Future of Medical
Practice and Education," will be presented eight times during RSNA
2002 in the InfoRad tutorial classroom. The program will include
both a tutorial and hands-on participation. Seating is limited to
75 people for each session and 1.5 hours of category 1 CME credit
are available. Go to www.rsna.org/rsna/advanceregistration/, or
send an e-mail to reginfo@rsna.org to check on seating
availability.
In keeping with the wireless theme of RSNA 2002, there will also
be a dedicated space within the InfoRad area for the hands-on
demonstration of a variety of handheld wireless technologies.
In addition, the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE)
Symposium has been expanded to include a week-long Radiology
Informatics Symposium. New courses include "Radiology Informatics:
Information Management and Enterprise Integration," and "An
Introduction to IHE and Enterprise Integration."
These new courses have been designed to provide an introduction
to enterprise-wide information integration.
One final program note: This year's scientific poster
presentations will be presented in a new format. For each poster
session, a moderator will lead the attendees from one poster to the
next, introducing each presentation and its author. Attendees who
wish to receive CME credit will be required to leave an attendance
voucher with the authors. The posters will be located on Level 3 of
the Lakeside Center, and presentation times will be Sunday from
12:30 to 1:30 PM and Monday through Thursday at 12:00 to 1:00
PM.
Technical exhibits
Once again, RSNA is the largest medical conference in terms of
exhibit space, with more than 445,000 square feet of exhibit space
(the second largest meeting is the Medtrade meeting with
approximately 280,000 square feet). These exhibits will showcase
the latest technologic advances in medical imaging from around the
world.
Siemens Medical Solutions
(Booths 1129 and 1148) will be introducing its new 10-slice CT
scanner, the SOMATOM Sensation 10, as a work-in-progress at RSNA
2002. Siemens has designed this new system to provide
high-resolution images, large-volume coverage, and rapid scanning
at an aggressive price-performance level.
The system's 10-slice detector configuration is capable of
acquiring up to 20 sub-millimeter slices per second. Images are
reconstructed at up to six images per second with virtually
isotropic resolution. Standard revolution speed is 0.5 seconds,
enabling the system to perform advanced applications such as
whole-body organ imaging, cardiac imaging, and coronary CT
angiography, as well as trauma and neurological imaging. According
to Siemens, the system will be capable of performing a 400-mm
abdominal CT angiography in less than 7.5 seconds.
The system will be upgradable to a 16-slice configuration and
includes Siemens' Windows-based user interface,
syngo
, as well as the WorkStream workflow program.
The system will also include Siemens' C.A.R.E. Dose technology
that adjusts the radiation dose during the scan based on the
patient's body structure.
The SOMATOM Sensation 10 is currently pending 510(k) review. The
first worldwide works-in-progress installation was completed at the
University of Kentucky in October 2002.
FUJIFILM Medical Systems
(Booth 2709) will be introducing a new compact dual-sided computed
radiography (CR) unit, a new high-performance Dry Laser Imager, a
new DryPix Station that enables a print load management and
fail-over capacity to ensure receipt of X-rays, and a new DryPix
Link that allows data to be interpreted via a DICOM print
capability.
Kodak Health Imaging
(Booth 1945) will feature a faster single-cassette CR system; a
second-generation DR platform, with new hardware and software; a
new PACS platform and web-based image distribution system; a new
high-end DryView laser imager with increased speed and image
quality; and new X-Sight screens designed to deliver improved image
sharpness.
Toshiba America Medical Systems
(Booth 7729) will showcase their new 16-slice CT scanner, the
Aquilion 16. Features of this scanner include true isotropic
imaging, a 40-row quantum detector, 0.5-mm slice thickness, and
500-millisecond gantry rotation time. In addition, Toshiba will
present, as a work in progress, its 256-row detector, designed to
provide the largest range in scanning area in a single
rotation.
Image Metrics plc
(Booth 1052) will be displaying its model-based vision software
featuring its Optasia software platform used in vertebral
morphometry. This software solution enables the automated analysis
of diagnostic images of the lateral spine and the rapid
identification of the vertebral deformity that occurs in such
clinical conditions as osteoporosis.
While you're at RSNA 2002, don't forget to stop by and visit
Applied Radiology
at Booth 1704.