Diagnostics & Imaging Week articles from April 2003

Diagnostics & Imaging Week archives from April 2003

Digene test gets FDA approval for high-risk HPV screening.(Digene Corp.)(Food and Drug Administration)(human papillomavirus)
April 3, 2003... Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Writer Hailing it as "an historic day for the women of the United States," Digene (Gaithersburg, Maryland) Chairman and CEO Evan Jones in a conference call to investors Tuesday commented on the FDA approval...

Ischemia raises $8.4 million; Matritech closes $5 million. (Financings roundup).(Ischemia Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Ischemia Technologies (Denver, Colorado) reported raising $8.4 million, saying it would use the funds to accelerate commercialization of its new blood test for rule-out of acute coronary syndromes....

Meditech, Elan Bio form JV for pathogen-scanning system. (Bioterror: fightinq back).(joint venture)
April 3, 2003... Diagnostics & Imaging Week Senior Staff Writer Various new developments surfaced this week in the war on bioterrorism via products for the detection and treatment of toxins that could potentially be unleashed on U.S. civilians and federal...

EPIX moving into clinic with MRI agent to detect thrombus.(magnetic resonance imaging)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Writer EPIX Medical (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has selected a compound to move into clinical development for use as an imaging agent designed to enable detection of thrombus, or blood clots. In humans using...

Welch Allyn to merge with MRL; instrumentarium offer extended. (Deals roundup).(Welch Allyn Inc.)(Medical Research Laboratories)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Patient monitoring firm Welch Allyn (Skaneateles Falls, New York) and MRL (Medical Research Laboratories; Buffalo Grove, Illinois), a manufacturer of therapeutic and monitoring cardiovascular...

Instrumentarium (Helsinki, Finland), which includes Datex-Ohmeda (Madison, Wisconsin), last week reported that the tender offer date originally published by GE Medical Systems. (Deals roundup).(Instrumentarium Imaging Inc.)(tender offer period extended)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report * Instrumentarium (Helsinki, Finland), which includes Datex-Ohmeda (Madison, Wisconsin), last week reported that the tender offer date originally published by GE Medical Systems (GEMS; Waukesha,...

Philips introduces new cardio business team and products. (American College of Cardiology).(Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Royal Philips Electronics (Best, the Netherlands) used this year's annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology (Bethesda, Maryland) in Chicago, Illinois, to announce the...

Miravant Medical Technologies (Santa Barbara, California), a company specializing in PhotoPoint photodynamic therapy (PDT), and Volcano Therapeutics (Laguna Hills, California) reported initial results of a collaborative research study to explore the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque (VP).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Miravant Medical Technologies (Santa Barbara, California), a company specializing in PhotoPoint photodynamic therapy (PDT), and Volcano Therapeutics (Laguna Hills, California) reported initial results of a collaborative research study to...

Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.(product information)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Toshiba America Medical Systems (TAMS; Tustin, California) is demonstrating enhanced features of its Infinix Dual Plane I-Series imaging system offering DynaDirect flat panel detector technology (FPD) and a liquid metal bearing X-ray tube....

42 companies, 23 labs now operate in France's Genopole. (Report from Europe).
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report A recent visit by Industry Minister Nicole Fontaine provided Genopole, France's national biotechnology business and science park at Evry with an opportunity to review its achievements since its...

Cancer tests in development. (Report from Europe).(licensing agreement between TheRyte Ltd. and Bandox Laboratories Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... TheRyte Ltd. (Liverpool, UK) entered into a license deal with Northern Ireland-based Bandox Laboratories Ltd. for the development of proteomics-based diagnostic marker tests for cancer. The blood sample-based tests--for ovarian, lung,...

DNA analysis, mapping patents licensed. (Report from Europe).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Pyrosequencing AB (Uppsala, Sweden) has gained a broad, nonexclusive license to non-coding DNA analysis and mapping patents belonging to Genetic Technologies Ltd., (Melbourne, Australia) with...

IRIS income off in year, 4Q; Boston Biomedica sales up. (Earnings roundup).(International Remote Imaging Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report International Remote Imaging Systems (IRIS; Chatsworth, California), a maker of automated in vitro diagnostics urinalysis systems and devices used in hospitals and reference clinical laboratories,...

Boston Biomedica. (Earnings roundup).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... Boston Biomedica (West Bridgewater, Massachusetts) said revenue from continuing operations totaled $6.08 million in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, up 2.4% from $5.94 million for those same operations in the same period of 2001. Net income...

Diagnocure. (Earnings roundup).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report * Diagnocure (Quebec City, Quebec, a developer of immunoassay and molecular diagnostic tests for early cancers, said revenues in the first quarter totaled C$158,338 compared to C$52,951 in 1Q02,...

Healthcare Technologies. (Earnings roundup).(Healthcare Technologies Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Healthcare Technologies (Ashdod, Israel) said revenues for the year ended Dec. 31 were $16.7 million, up from $16 million a year earlier, with net income of 468,000 or 6 cents a share vs. a loss of $3.01 million or 50 cents a share in 2001....

IVAX Diagnostics. (Earnings roundup).(company sales and revenue)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * IVAX Diagnostics (Miami, Florida) said revenues in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 nearly doubled to $4.31 million from $2.25 million in 4Q01, while the net loss was halved to $583,000 or 2 cents a share from the loss of $1.13 million or 4...

Sontra Medical. (Earnings roundup).(Sontra Medical Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Sontra Medical (Franklin, Massachusetts) said its net loss in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 was $1.41 million or 15 cents a share vs. the loss of $901,000 or 35 cents a share reported in the prior-year period. For the year as a whole, the...

Bio-Rad Laboratories. (Deals roundup).(Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. acquires Verdot Industrie)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Bio-Rad Laboratories (Hercules, California), multi-national manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, reported the acquisition of Verdot Industrie (Riom, France) for about $6 million. ...

AmeriPath (Riviera Beach, Florida), a national provider cancer diagnostics, genomics and related information services, reported that its stockholders have approved the company's previously announced merger with Amy Acquisition, an entity formed by the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (New York). (Deals roundup).(AmeriPath Inc.)(Amy Acquisition Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * AmeriPath (Riviera Beach, Florida), a national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomics and related information services, reported that its stockholders have approved the company's previously announced merger with Amy Acquisition, an entity...

Matritech. (Financings roundup).(Matritech Inc. sells common stock)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Matritech (Newton, Massachusetts), a developer of proteomics-based diagnostic products, reported closing the sale of $5 million of 7.5% convertible debentures and warrants to purchase 784,314 shares of common stock at an initial exercise...

Palatin Technologies (Cranbury, New Jersey) raised $19 million through the sale of 13.4 million shares for the purpose of furthering development projects in infection imaging and male and female sexual dysfunction. (Financings roundup).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Palatin Technologies (Cranbury, New Jersey) raised $19 million through the sale of 13.4 million shares for the purpose of furthering development projects in infection imaging and male and female sexual dysfunction. For every four shares...

Northrop Grumman. (Bioterror: fighting back).(Northrop Grumman Corp. develops biological agent detection system)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Defense company Northrop Grumman (Los Angeles) issued a statement regarding the continuing development of a bio-agent detection system for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), saying that its team "continues to work with the U.S. Postal Service to...

Igen International. (Bioterror: fighting back).(test reagents used to detect biological agents)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Igen International (Gaithersburg, Maryland) said it has received a new order from the Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (PEO-CBD) for expanded use of Igen's test reagents for the detection of biological agents. The...

AMDL (Tustin, California) has granted distribution rights for its DR-70 cancer diagnostic test kit to MyGene (Seoul, South Korea). (Product Briefs).(AMDL Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * AMDL (Tustin, California) has granted distribution rights for its DR-70 cancer diagnostic test kit to MyGene (Seoul, South Korea). MyGene is affiliated with about 100 medical centers in South Korea and currently markets a unique test for...

EPMedSystems. (Product Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * EPMedSystems (West Berlin, New Jersey), a manufacturer of cardiac electrophysiology products used to diagnose and treat certain cardiac rhythm disorders, reported the addition of the Alert Systems for internal cardioversion to the portfolio...

Healthy Estrogen.com. (Product Briefs).(urine test measures breast cancer risk)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Healthy Estrogen.com (Atlanta, Georgia) has introduced a new urine test that will help women evaluate risk for breast cancer. The simple home urine test, known as "The Healthy Estrogen Test," is a measurement of estrogen metabolites in...

Pel-Freez Clinical Systems. (Product Briefs).(Pel-Freez Clinical Systems L.L.C.)(in vitro diagnostic kit)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Pel-Freez Clinical Systems (Brown Deer, Wisconsin) reported that the complete SSP UniTray product line, which includes low- and high-resolution HLA typing kits, as well as the UniMatch Plus analysis program, has been registered for in vitro...

Toshiba America Medical Systems. (Product Briefs).(Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.)(multi-purpose X-ray system)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Toshiba America Medical Systems (Tustin, California) introduced the company's Ultimax multipurpose X-ray system with DynaDirect (works-in-progress), the industry's first Dynamic Direct Conversion Flat Panel Detector (FPD), at last week's...

Varian. (Product Briefs).(Varian Medical Systems Inc.)(product enhancement)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Varian (Paid Alto, California) showcased its Interchangeable Flow Cell (IFC) accessory this week at the 44th annual Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference in Savannah, Georgia. The accessory is designed to be used with the...

Confirma. (People in Places).(Confirma Technology Corp.)(vice president appointed)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Max Lyon has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Confirma (Kirkland, Washington). Lyon most recently was president and CEO of LifeSpex 27 Confirma develops computer-aided detection systems for magnetic resonance imaging...

Paradigm Medical Industries. (People In Places).(new vice president)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Raymond Cannefax has been elected vice president, sales and marketing, for Paradigm Medical Industries (Salt Lake City, Utah). Cannefax most recently was vice president, business development, at Vernax. Paradigm manufactures surgical and...

Royal Philips Electronics. (People in Places).(new employees)(Brief Article)
April 3, 2003... * Barbara Franciose has been appointed global chief executive officer for the ultrasound business line of Royal Philips Electronics (Andover, Massachusetts). Previously, Franciose was president and general manager for worldwide nuclear medicine...

FDA okays Bayer's test for hepatitis C viral load levels.(Food and Drug Administration)
April 10, 2003... Bayer Diagnostics (Tarrytown, New York) has won the first and only FDA approval thus far for a quantitative test to measure hepatitis C viral lead levels, which is expected to aid physicians in determining Therapeutic treatment for the disease....

UK Biobank plan comes under fire as political, lacking value. (Report from Europe).
April 10, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report The move to set up UK Biobank, a national genomics database with samples from 500,000 people, has been slammed as a "politically driven project" by the Science and Technology Committee of the House...

PET highlighted in new outcry for Medicare reform in Senate.(positron emission tomography )
April 10, 2003... James McDonald, MD, chief of the department of radiology at Southwest Regional Medical Center (Little Rock, Arkansas), charges that CMS action on new technology is achingly slow, and he uses positron emission tomography (PET), as a prime...

`Molecular beacons' could light way to marking cancer genes.
April 10, 2003... Researchers at The Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University (both Atlanta, Georgia) are developing technology that Georgia Tech says may make diagnosing cancer a function of introducing "molecular beacons" into the body and then...

Quest in proposed settlement related to Tay-Sachs testing. (Court report).(Quest Diagnostics Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Quest Diagnostics (Teterboro, New Jersey) reported that it has reached a proposed settlement of a national class-action lawsuit involving genetic testing for Tay-Sachs disease performed by Quest...

Applied Biosystems (Foster City, California) an Applera Corp. business, HTS Biosystems (Hopkinton, Massachusetts) and Mitsubishi Chemical (MCC; Tokyo) entered a distribution agreement in which Applied Biosystems Japan (ABJ), a division of Applied Biosystems, will be the exclusive distributor of a next-generation surface plasmon resonance system that is designed to help researchers profile and characterize biomolecular interactions. (Agreements).(distribution agreements)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Applied Biosystems (Foster City, California) an Applera Corp. business, HTS Biosystems (Hopkinton, Massachusetts) and Mitsubishi Chemical (MCC; Tokyo) entered a distribution agreement in which Applied Biosystems Japan (ABJ), a division of...

CADx Systems (Beavercreek, Ohio), which focuses on medical computer-aided detection (CAD), entered a two-year, dual source agreement designating CADx as a provider of CAD systems to HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HPG; Brentwood, Tennessee) member facilities. (Agreements).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... CADx Systems (Beavercreek, Ohio), which focuses on medical computer-aided detection (CAD), entered a two-year, dual source agreement designating CADx as a provider of CAD systems to HealthTrust Purchasing Group (HPG; Brentwood, Tennessee)...

Epigenomics adds $22.5 million; Orchid brings in $16 million. (Financings roundup).(Epigenomics AG)(Orchid Biosciences Inc.)
April 10, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Epigenomics (Berlin, Germany/Seattle, Washington) a biotech company developing DNA methylation-based products for early detection and molecular classification of cancer and other diseases, reported...

Bruker Daltonics, AXS to merge; Invivo buys telemetry provider. (Deals roundup).(Bruker Daltonics Inc.)(Bruker AXS Inc.)(Invivo Corp.)(Medical Data Electronics Inc.)
April 10, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Bruker Daltonics (Billerica, Massachusetts) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bruker AXS (Madison, Wisconsin), an affiliated firm, in a primarily stock-for-stock deal valued at $103.6...

InSight Health Services (Lake Forest, California), a provider of diagnostic imaging services, reported that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has completed the purchase of 13 diagnostic imaging centers located in Southern California, formerly owned by the Comprehensive Medical Imaging subsidiaries of Cardinal Health (Dublin, Ohio). (Deals roundup).(InSight Health Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... InSight Health Services (Lake Forest, California), a provider of diagnostic imaging services, reported that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has completed the purchase of 13 diagnostic imaging centers located in Southern California,...

Elbit Medical Imaging (EMI; Tel Aviv, Israel) reported that on April 1, an unrelated third party exercised certain warrants for the acquisition of 4.96% of the shares of its indirect subsidiary company, InSightec (Tirat Hacarmel, Israel), on a fully diluted basis, in consideration for cash payment of $2,975,000. (Deals roundup).(Elbit Medical Imaging Ltd.)(InSightec Image Guided Treatment Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Elbit Medical Imaging (EMI; Tel Aviv, Israel) reported that on April 1, an unrelated third party exercised certain warrants for the acquisition of 4.96% of the shares of its indirect subsidiary company, InSightec (Tirat Hacarmel, Israel), on a...

Maryland firm says Path-Away effective vs. bioterror agents. (Fighting back).(Bio-Defense Research Group )(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Bio-Defense Research Group (BDRGI; Upper Marlboro, Maryland) reported the availability of Path-Away, a technology that neutralizes airborne bioterror agents such as anthrax and smallpox. The...

Aclara BioSciences (Mountain View, California) said it has entered into a service and supply agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL; Livermore, California) to provide access to Aclara's eTag Assay System to develop rapid detection assays for biological agents. (Fighting back).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Aclara BioSciences (Mountain View, California) said it has entered into a service and supply agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL; Livermore, California) to provide access to Aclara's eTag Assay System to develop rapid...

Molecular Diagnostics. (Financings roundup).(Molecular Diagnostics Inc. pays off debt)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Molecular Diagnostics (MDI; Chicago, Illinois) reported that it has made the final payment to Round Valley Capital (RVC), a preferred debt holder whose position was secured by all of MDI's assets. The final closing payment was made in...

Alliance Imaging. (People In Places).(Alliance Imaging Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Alliance Imaging (Anaheim, California) reported that its founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Richard Zehner, will assume the sole role of chairman of the board. Taking Zehner's place as CEO is Richard Viviano, in addition to his...

DiaSys. (People In Places).(DiaSys Corp. selects new president)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Gregory Witchel has been named president of DiaSys (Waterbury, Connecticut). Witchel previously served as president of the finance firm of Scharff, Witchel & Co. DiaSys manufactures medical laboratory equipment, consumables and test kits sold...

Focus Technologies. (People In Places).(technical director selected)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Jan Groen, PhD, has been named technical director for virology/microbiology at Focus Technologies' (Herndon, Virginia) infectious disease reference laboratory in Cypress, California. Previously, Groen was a virologist at the Erasmus Medical...

Implant Sciences. (People In Places).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... James Washnock has been named director of sales, brachytherapy products, a new position, for Implant Sciences (Wakefield, Massachusetts). Most recently, Washnock was with Cytogen. Implant Sciences is using its core ion technology to develop...

i-Stat. (People In Places).(i-STAT Corp. names new marketing director)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... David Phillips has been named to the new position of director of marketing for i-Stat (East Windsor, New Jersey). Phillips will be responsible for building the Company's internal marketing capability in preparation for independent marketing of...

Quidel. (People In Places).(employee promotions and resignations)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Paul Landers has been promoted from vice president and chief financial officer to senior vice president, finance and administration, for Quidel (San Diego, California). Additionally, Mark Paiz has been promoted from senior vice president supply...

Beckman Coulter. (Product Briefs).(Beckman Coulter Inc.)(microparticle-enhanced C-reactive protein assay)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Beckman Coulter (Fullerton, California) has introduced what it said is a new and improved microparticle-enhanced (MPE) C-reactive protein (CRP) assay for its Array 360 protein system. The new CRPMPE assay is for the quantitative determination...

Bio-Rad Laboratories. (Product Briefs).(hepatitis B diagnostic tests)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Bio-Rad Laboratories (Hercules, California) said that two of its test kits used for the screening and confirmation of the hepatitis B virus have been approved by the FDA. Bio-Rad's Genetic Systems HBsAg EIA 5.0 and HBsAg Confirmatory Assay 3.0...

Cybernet Medical. (Product Briefs).(medical information management )(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Cybernet Medical (Ann Arbor, Michigan) said it has received FDA clearance to expand the capabilities of its MedStar Disease Management Data Collection System. Used to remotely collect and transmit the physiological data of patients with chronic...

Dade Behring. (Product Briefs).(Dade Behring Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Dade Behring (Deerfield, Illinois) has received FDA clearance to make its D-dimer test available on its Stratus CS instrument, for use in STAT and central laboratories and in acute-care settings. An elevated D-dimer result reflects increased...

Hycor Biomedical. (Product Briefs).(Hycor Biomedical Inc. markets autoimmune test)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Hycor Biomedical (Garden Grove, California) has received FDA clearance to market its Anti-Beta-2-Glycoprotein (beta-2-GPI) IgA autoimmune test in the U.S. The test complements the beta-2-GPI IgG and IgM tests approved in January. Beta-2-GPI is...

Masimo. (Product Briefs).(Masimo Corp.)(evaluation of patient monitoring systems)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Masimo (Irvine, California) said that the latest research concerning Masimo SET's Perfusion Index (PI) in the diagnosis and monitoring of sick infants was presented by Dr. Claudio De Felice at the 20th annual High Frequency Ventilation meeting...

PharmaNetics said that it had filed a 510(k) submission with the FDA for its Thrombin Inhibitor Management Test for the rapid management of Angiomax, an anticoagulant developed by The Medicines Company (Parsippany, New Jersey). (Product Briefs).(PharmaNetics Inc.)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... PharmaNetics said that it had filed a 510(k) submission with the FDA for its Thrombin Inhibitor Management Test for the rapid management of Angiomax, an anticoagulant developed by The Medicines Company (Parsippany, New Jersey). This test is...

Quidel. (Product Briefs).(Quidel Corp.)(product information)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Quidel (San Diego, California) said its CLIA-waived QuickVue Influenza test to distinguish the symptoms of flu from those of other respiratory illnesses that mimic flu-like symptoms is available to physicians. It said the test provides fast and...

ScheBo Biotech. (Product Briefs).(cancer diagnostic test developed)(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... ScheBo Biotech (Marietta, Georgia) said it has developed a new test for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer. The new procedure has a far higher specificity than the tests for occult blood, which have been used until now. The crucial...

Transonic Systems (Ithaca, New York) reported shipment of its 1,000th Flow-QC Hemodialysis Monitor to Dialysis Clinics (Carlsbad, New Mexico). (Product Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 10, 2003... Transonic Systems (Ithaca, New York) reported shipment of its 1,000th Flow-QC Hemodialysis Monitor to Dialysis Clinics (Carlsbad, New Mexico). The Flow-QC Hemodialysis Monitor allows hemodialysis clinics to routinely screen patients during...

Contact lens eyed as way to monitor blood glucose levels.
April 17, 2003... Using a contact lens to monitor glucose levels may become reality for sufferers of diabetes in the not-too-distant future, offering a drastically simpler alternative, perhaps, than the current method of pricking a fingertip to do blood testing....

High-value diagnostic sector in 1Q03 continues consolidation. (Dealmaking 2003).
April 17, 2003... While the majority of deals, reported on in 1Q03 by Diagnostics & Imaging Week were strictly in the realm of devices, there was, as usual, significant activity in other sectors of the healthcare market, particularly in the high dollar...

NICE committee backs use of liquid-based cytology tests. (Report from Europe).(National Institute for Clinical Excellence)(various articles on cervical screening, distribution agreements, and diagnostic device accreditation)
April 17, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report In a preliminary evaluation report, the Appraisals Committee of the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of liquid-based cytology as the primary means of...

To see Alzheimer's disease, look into a patient's eyes. (From the Lab).
April 17, 2003... Is it truly Alzheimer's disease (AD) or only one of the many look-alike senile dementias? A skilled neurologist or psychiatrist can make this differential diagnosis with 90%-plus accuracy. But a 100% AD verdict calls for a postmortem...

Neothermia raised $13.1 M in its Series D financing. (Financings roundup).(NeoThermia Corp.)
April 17, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Neothermia (Natick, Massachusetts), the developer of a less-invasive system for conducting breast biopsies, reported closing on a Series D round of $13.1 million in new equity funding, bringing its...

Third Wave, EraGen settle fight over Invader-related technology. (Court report).(Third Wave Technologies Inc.)(EraGen Biosciences Inc.)(patent infringement)
April 17, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Third Wave Technologies and EraGen Biosciences (both Madison, Wisconsin) reported that they have reached a settlement in Third Wave's patent infringement lawsuit against EraGen. That suit, filed...

Zila gains $20M in settlement with CRO for trial of Oratest.(Zila Inc.)(clinical research organization Ilex Oncology Services Inc.)
April 17, 2003... A Diagnostics & Imaging Week Staff Report Zila (Phoenix, Arizona) reported that it will receive $20 million in a settlement of its dispute with its former clinical research organization (CRO), Ilex Oncology Services (IOS; San Antonio,...

New mammography reader is added to FujiFilm's line.(Fujifilm Medical Systems USA)(digital mammogram)
April 17, 2003... FujiFilm Medical Systems USA (Stamford, Connecticut) is introducing a new mammography reader to its mammography product line, called the Computed Radiography Mammography (FCR-M) Reader. The FCR-M uses a four-cassette stacker, which FujiFilm...

Mobile PET Systems. (People in Places).(Mobile PET Systems Inc. names senior vice president)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... * John Mishalanie has been named senior vice president of business development for Mobile PET Systems (San Diego, California). Most recently, Mishalanie was vice president/general manager of auction services for Neoforma. Mobile PET is a...

Sleep Solutions. (People in Places).(president appointed)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... * Michael Thomas has been appointed president and a director of Sleep Solutions (Palo Alto, California). He joined the company in 2001 as vice president, sales and business development after serving as executive vice president of sales and...

Amersham Biosciences. (Product Briefs).(product launch of DNA amplification kit)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Amersham Biosciences (Piscataway, New Jersey), the life sciences business of Amersham plc (London), reported the launch of the GenomiPhi DNA Amplification Kit designed to simplify the DNA preparation process and enable DNA to be prepared from...

Beckman Coulter. (Product Briefs).(Beckman Coulter Inc.)(patient monitoring equipment)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Beckman Coulter (Fulierton, California) has launched Access OV Monitor, a new medical laboratory test that aids in the management of ovarian cancer. The test, which, has been cleared by the FDA for diagnostic use, is designed to detect cancer...

Bio-Rad Laboratories. (Product Briefs).(infectious disease test)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Bio-Rad Laboratories (Hercules, California) said the FDA has approved an investigational device exemption for its Platella Aspergilius & A test kit for use in a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored study of bone marrow transplant...

Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging. (Product Briefs).(safety of stress kit)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging (Billerica, Massachusetts) says that the results of a new company sponsored study demonstrate that regardless of race, patients with a normal stress test with Cardiolite (Kit for the Preparation of Technenum...

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, California) said that it has begun shipping the IDI-Strep B assay for the rapid detection of the presence of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection in expectant women. (Product Briefs).(Cepheid Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Cepheid (Sunnyvale, California) said that it has begun shipping the IDI-Strep B assay for the rapid detection of the presence of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection in expectant women. Cepheid will market in the U.S. the assay developed by...

Cytyc. (Product Briefs).(Cytyc Corp.)(health insurance companies cover breast cancer test )(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Cytyc (Boxborough, Massachusetts) reported that three additional health insurers, representing nearly 3 million covered lives, are providing coverage for FirstCyte Breast Test. Cytyc's ductal lavage technology to aid in breast cancer risk...

Given Imaging. (Product Briefs).(Given Imaging Ltd.)(evaluation of capsule endoscope)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Given Imaging (Yoqneam, Israel) said that a study published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2003, 15:363-367), concluded that its M2A capsule is an effective, sensitive and valuable diagnostic tool in the early...

Laser Diagnostic Technologies. (Product Briefs).(distribution agreement)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Laser Diagnostic Technologies (LDT; San Diego, California), a developer of diagnostic solutions for glaucoma, has signed a limited agreement with Sonogage (Cleveland, Ohio), an ophthalmic instrumentation company, to distribute the Corneo-Gage...

MedMira. (Product Briefs).(MedMira Inc. markets HIV test in China)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... MedMira (Halifax, Nova Scotia) said that it has received approval from the State Drug Administration of the People's Republic of China to market its MiraWell Rapid HIV Test. The company said its test is the first and only rapid, point-of care...

Medrad. (Product Briefs).(Medrad Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Medrad (Indianola, Pennsylvania) has introduced the Stellant CT Injection System, a fluid delivery system designed to meet the latest clinical, safety and ease-of-use requirements of rapidly evolving computed tomography (CT) technology. Product...

Roche. (Product Briefs).(Roche Diagnostics)(Brief Article)
April 17, 2003... Roche (Basel, Switzerland) has received FDA clearance for the Cobas Amplicor HIV-1 MonitorTest (version 1.5) an enhanced version of Roche's polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay used to measure the amount of HIV-1 RNA (viral load) present in an...