AUBURNDALE, MA--(Marketwired - Aug 26, 2013) - UltraSPECT, a leading provider of nuclear medicine (NM) systems with image reconstruction technology that reduces radiopharmaceutical dose and acquisition time, announces today that MaineHealth, a family of hospitals and medical centers throughout Maine, has selected the UltraSPECT Xpress.Cardiac and Xpress3.Cardiac™ solutions as part of the organization's strategy for reducing nuclear medicine dose and complying with the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) final guidelines effective January 1, 2014. Maine Medical Partners (MMP) - MaineHealth Cardiology in South Portland is one of ten facilities within MaineHealth that is installing the product, with others scheduled to continue roll out before the end of 2013.
"Radiation exposure reduction is a global priority and is readily achievable today through a combination of practices that includes innovative software like that from UltraSPECT," says Mylan Cohen, MD, Medical Director of Noninvasive Cardiology at Maine Medical Center and former ASNC President. "MaineHealth is proud to be a leader in meeting the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology dose-reduction recommendations as we continue to take steps to implement advanced methods to reduce radiation exposure related to cardiac imaging for patients under our care."
ASNC, the leader in education, advocacy, and quality for the field of nuclear cardiology, recommends that the nuclear cardiology community limit the total radiation exposure to patients undergoing SPECT/PET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) tests to an average of less than or equal to 9 mSv (millisieverts) in 50 percent of studies by 2014. Previously, the average was approximately 12 to 13 mSv for stress and rest imaging.
MMP - MaineHealth Cardiology conducts nearly 2800 nuclear medicine studies each year. The goal for the facility is to reduce both radiation dose, as well as the length of time of each study. Using the company's proprietary Wide Beam Reconstruction (WBR™) algorithm, the solution enhances the performance of existing NM cameras, enabling a 50 percent reduction in standard radiopharmaceutical injected dose, reducing imaging scan time up to 50 percent for abbreviated exams and greater patient comfort, while maintaining the highest level of image quality. Further, the UltraSPECT Xpress3.Cardiac software is the only solution for lowering dose and shortening exam time that works with all manufacturers' SPECT cameras to cost-effectively retrofit existing technology for optimal patient outcomes, something that is especially ideal for a large organization like MaineHealth.