Cardiac, respiratory motion software unveiled

GE Healthcare has unveiled the Innova EPVision, an image fusion software with registration and image stabilisation features, to compensate for cardiac and respiratory motion, reports TMCnet.

While scanning internal organs it is common for other systems to record blurry images as the organs keeps moving, however the Innova system has built-in features to improve data coming off tomographs by managing these blurry images.

Anita Makhija, GM of marketing for interventional at GE Healthcare, said fusing 2D and 3D images helps provide unique visual aspects during procedures. However, customers say fusion without motion compensation is not particularly useful. Innova EPVision gives the electro- physiologist additional means to manage radiation dose, procedure time and optimise workflow.

The Australian senate's consideration of the Rudd government's controversial Healthcare Identifiers Bill will not take place until budget day on 11 May, states The Australian.

This follows a tumultuous week of testimony and a rushed report recommending adoption despite Coalition concerns and calls for amendments. The Healthcare Identifier service, to be run initially by Medicare Australia, is due to commence on 1 July.

Medical software specialists, privacy advocates and the e-health community had been seeking more details on how the scheme would work.

Nashville-based medical billing company Emdeon is set to acquire a management consulting firm that specialises in healthcare IT that Emdeon provides, writes Nashville Business Journal.

Emdeon will pay $11 million for Healthcare Technology Management Services, including $8.5 million in cash and another $2.5 million in Emdeon stock. Depending on how well the business performs, Emdeon could pay up to $14 million more over the next three years.

The deal, expected to close later this month, is the second for Emdeon so far this year. In January, Emdeon bought FutureVision Technologies, a Salt Lake City company that specialises in the conversion of documents for electronic usage, for $20 million.