TeraRecon Highlights Multi-Touch, Automation and Open Interfaces for Advanced Visualization at SIIM 2009

CHARLOTTE, NC--(Marketwire - June 4, 2009) - TeraRecon, Inc. (www.terarecon.com), a leader in advanced visualization and decision support, today highlighted aspects of its Aquarius iNtuition™ advanced visualization solution, which resonate with presentations at the 2009 Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, June 4-7, 2009.

At SIIM 2009, updates on research, development and implementations of imaging informatics advances are presented by academics and professionals in the field. TeraRecon's Aquarius iNtuition platform for advanced visualization is a comprehensive, client-server, enterprise solution for advanced visualization that incorporates many features that are closely in tune with the concepts and visions expressed at the SIIM meeting. Examples of such applications are as follows:

Open API for integrating research algorithms:

Research and development of algorithms such as segmentation and computer aided detection (CAD) can proceed to a certain extent in a "laboratory" setting, where algorithms are developed and tested on sample cases in a controlled environment [1]. However, in order to obtain real-world experience with such algorithms, it is necessary to deploy them into the real diagnostic interpretation workflow, which can often be challenging since most vendors of diagnostic interpretation systems do not support such integration of external algorithms. TeraRecon's Aquarius iNtuition includes the AquariusAPS server which hosts a wide variety of automatic image processing algorithms which can be applied in a rules-based manner on any imaging data acquired by an institution's scanners. AquariusAPS also supports an open Application Programming Interface (API) for "plugging in" third-party algorithms, in order that they may be applied to an institution's imaging data (even historically) and the results then observed in the context of the normal Aquarius iNtuition diagnostic user interface. The algorithm reported on by Mayo Clinic [1] is being integrated into the AquariusAPS server (for internal use only) by a Mayo Clinic team using this API, as an example of such an integration.

Annotation Export:

Presentations at SIIM 2009 will highlight the advantages of exporting findings and measurements using a standardized XML format [2][3], which can be read into a database and later searched in order to find similar cases or findings, to aid diagnosis, or for research purposes. TeraRecon's Aquarius iNtuition 4.4 software includes advanced support for customizing measurement protocols, and for exporting the results of applying such measurement protocols, using standardized XML, CSV (for use in Microsoft Excel and other software) or Text formats. This powerful tool allows a clinical institution to standardize its interpretation protocol, a 3D lab to standardize its measurement sets for various procedures, or a research facility to define standardized measurements that must be made by readers in a clinical trial, all with the output formatted in a standardized way that can be automatically exported into other software or analysis tools.

Automation:

At SIIM 2009, Jason N. Itri, M.D., Ph.D., and William W. Boonn M.D., of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, will present a study entitled "Use of a Dedicated Automated Processing Server to Perform Multiplanar Reformations in Trauma Examinations for Enterprise Clinical Distribution" [4], which finds that using such automated processing generates substantial time savings, and that "The substantial time savings is expected to improve workflow and productivity." The study was performed using TeraRecon's Aquarius iNtuition solution featuring AquariusAPS with "AutoBatch," an automated processing server which performs coronal, sagittal and axial reformats using MIP, MPR or other algorithms immediately upon scan completion, according to various user-defined rules and parameters, with automatic forwarding of the results to PACS. The AquariusAPS server used in this study, showed that trauma-related CT examinations of the cervical spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis significantly improved diagnostic interpretation efficiencies.

Multi-Touch:

At SIIM 2009, a presentation will highlight the use of an alternative user interface based on multi-touch technology [5]. TeraRecon's Aquarius iNtuition has been demonstrated previously at the Radiological Society of North America 2008 Annual Meeting, integrated with a multi-touch user interface, and iNtuition has for some time supported the iPhone and iPod Touch multi-touch user interface.

TeraRecon president and CEO Robert Taylor, Ph.D. commented, "The continuing parallels between presentations at the SIIM meeting this year and the research and development initiatives underway at TeraRecon underline the great commitment TeraRecon has to imaging informatics both in terms of research, and in terms of everyday application in clinical practice. The increasing importance of advanced visualization and decision support in the practice of medicine is clear, and we are committed to this effort in partnership with the many SIIM members working along similar lines."

About TeraRecon, Inc. (www.terarecon.com)

TeraRecon, Inc., a leader in advanced image processing and 3D visualization techniques, provides advanced imaging systems for medical and other visualization applications based on its unique and patented image processing technologies. A four-time winner of Frost and Sullivan awards, the company has developed a leading portfolio of products that advance the performance, quality, functionality, and integration of image processing and 3D visualization systems. Founded in 1997, TeraRecon is a privately held company with Global headquarters in San Mateo, CA, and branch offices in Concord, MA; Tokyo, Japan; Osaka, Japan; and European Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.

[1] Xiaojiang Yang, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic; Daniel J. Blezek, Ph.D.; Lionel T. Cheng, MBBS; William J. Ryan; Bradley J. Erickson, M.D., Ph.D., FSIIM. 2009 May. [abstract]. Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) of Intracranial Aneurysms in MR Angiography. SIIM 2009 Scientific Abstracts http://www.siim2009.org/abstracts/SS3_Yang/SS3_Yang.html

[2] Daniel L. Rubin, M.D., M.S., Stanford University; Chris Beaulieu, M.D., Ph.D.; Cesar Rodriguez, M.D.; Danny Korenblum; Sandy Napel, Ph.D. 2009 May. [abstract]. Tools to Support Incorporating Semantic Annotation and Markup of Images, and Query for Image Attributes, into Research/Clinical Workflow. SIIM 2009 Scientific abstracts http://www.siim2009.org/abstracts/SS2_Rubin/SS2_Rubin.html

[3] David S. Channin, M.D., Northwestern University; Pat Mongkolwat, Ph.D.; Vladimir Kleper; Daniel Rubin, M.D., M.S. 2009 May. [abstract]. The caBIG™ Annotation and Image Markup Proposed Standard. SIIM 2009 Scientific Abstracts http://www.siim2009.org/abstracts/SS2_Channin.html

[4] Jason N. Itri, M.D., Ph.D., Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; William W. Boonn, M.D. 2009 May. [abstract]. Use of a Dedicated Automated Processing Server to Perform Multiplanar Reformations in Trauma Examinations for Enterprise Clinical Distribution. SIIM 2009 Scientific abstracts http://www.siim2009.org/abstracts/SS5_Itri.html

[5] Rishi Seth, M.D., University of Maryland School of Maryland; Khan M. Siddiqui, M.D.; Eliot L. Siegel, M.D., FSIIM; Naomi J. Saenz, M.D. 2009 May. [abstract]. Advancing the Radiologist Workstation: Multitouch Imaging Displays. SIIM 2009 Scientific abstracts http://www.siim2009.org/abstracts/SS4_Seth.html