Latest Press Releases from Imatron and Industry

"More powerful than the best available non-invasive test in predicting heart attack and other coronary disease even in apparently healthy people."

Circulation: an American Heart Association Journal
June 1996

Imatron EBT Coronary Artery Scan Detects Atherosclerosis in Apparently Healthy Subjects with No Standard Cardio Vascular Risk Factors
March 6, 2001(read press release)

Analysis of Large Group of Asymptomatic, Physician-Referred Subjects Allows More Accurate Classification of Risk
March 14, 2001 (read press release)

Recent Articles of Interest

CBSHealthWatch
New Device Predicts Heart Attack Risk
March 2000

Circulation: an American Heart Association Journal
2000

(Abstract) Coronary artery calcium has long been identified as a marker of underlying Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and EBCT is extremely sensitive for the detection and quantification of the extent of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Measures of CAC expressed as calcium scores (CSs) show a close correlation with the atherosclerotic plaque burden and the simple presence of CAC on a screening EBCT test has been reported to be associated with high odds ratios for developing a variety of cardiovascular events.

MedCo Forum
March 2000

(Abstract) Imatron's Cardiac Electron Beam Tomography Scanning System is uniquely capable of performing Electron Beam Angiography (EBA) which recently received market clearance from the FDA as a highly sensitive and specific, yet noninvasive, alternative to cardiac catheterization.
"The Imatron Cardiac EBT Scanner allows a physician to monitor the patency of bypass grafts, stents, and post-balloon angioplasty vessels in these 'wary' patients, without performing anything more invasive than an IV."
Stephen Achenbach M.D. - University of Erlanger – Germany

Forbes
March 2000

(Abstract) Electron scanning should make stress testing a rare adjunct to diagnosis, rather than its main weapon. Doctors should miss far fewer at-risk patients. Just as important, its low cost and high accuracy should enable cardiologists to fine-tune treatment by furnishing them with frequent progress reports.

USA Today
June 1999

(Abstract) "Without the heart scan I was headed for a serious stroke or heart attack. So now I am an evangelist for older people and those with a genetic inclination for heart trouble to get a heart scan."
Former Senator Paul Simon, D-III

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
March 1999

(Abstract) We critically reviewed current pertinent literature regarding EBT coronary calcium scanning from a clinical perspective and, in particular, studies that evaluated it as a measure of atherosclerotic coronary disease...Considerable evidence shows that coronary calcium is specific for atherosclerotic plaque and that it can be sensitively detected and accurately quantified by using EBT.

The Wall Street Journal
February 1998

(Abstract) While EBT scans of coronary calcium don't replace more expensive stress tests or invasive angiograms, the American Heart Association declares scans can "predict the occurrence of cardiac events such as fatal and nonfatal heart attacks, or the need for coronary bypass surgery or coronary (balloon) angioplasty over the next one or two years."

The New England Journal of Medicine
December 1998

(Abstract) EBT is noninvasive and inexpensive. The entire coronary-artery tree can be studied during a single imaging session, and the volume of coronary calcification as quantified with this technique correlates closely with the total burden of atherosclerotic plaque.