Chapter to Host Fall Educational Meeting
on Image Fusion in Minneapolis

The Central Chapter is hosting a Fall Educational Conference on image fusion. The day and one half program titled “F3 - Fusing Form & Function,” will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2005, at the Hilton Mall of American Hotel in Minneapolis. Robert Butler, MD and Linda Laman, CNMT are the local program chairs and are developing a comprehensive program coupled with a little fun. Watch your mail and email for more information on this special educational opportunity.

Doctor Butler notes that for many years, clinicians have wanted technology that fused images of the same anatomy or function from different imaging techniques. Image fusion increases the usefulness of the information from two images or image sets and makes it easier for the clinician to use the sets of information together. Among other advantages, fusion helps compensate for deficiencies in each of the other image modalities and allows them to complement one another.

Clinicians can also benefit from fusion where images produced by the same technique, but at different times. By comparing images over time, a physician can determine whether a disease has spread or has decreased.

Linda Laman reports that CT, MR, PET, SPECT, Ultrasound and Conventional Radiology all can lend themselves to image fusion. Also, Medicare is reimbursing for PET/CT fusion performed on a PET/CT scanner and there is also talk that Medicare will be reimbursing for other image fusion in the near future which will increase the need for knowledge.

Preliminary program topics include:

Saturday, October 1, 2005

• Fusing Personnel
• Training Requirements for Nuclear Medicine, CT and Radiation Therapy Technologists
• Physics of Fusion Imaging
• Head and Neck Anatomy and CT Correlations
• Fusion and ENT Perspective
• Chest: Anatomy and Physiology with Fusion
• Fused PET: A Radiation Oncologist’s Point of View

Sunday, October 2, 2005

• Abdomen and Pelvis: Anatomy and Fusion
• Introduction to Cyberknife Therapy

A special Technology Track is also anticipated including:

• CT Basics: Instrumentation and Quality Control
• X-Ray Contrast and Contrast Related Reactions
• Medical Image Fusion: How it Works

Potential optional activities on Saturday evening may include a visit to the Mall of America, a trip to Mystic Lake Casino or a Light Rail Tour of Minneapolis.

A golf tournament is also being considered for Sunday afternoon after the conclusion of the program.

Information will soon be available on the Chapter’s web site, including on-line registration.

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