Procedures - Diagnostic Imaging

The Renaissance group offers subspecialty interpretation and supervision of the full gamut of modern diagnostic imaging procedures across all modalities utilizing state of the art equipment. Services are provided within hospitals, outpatient centers, and remote satellite centers. Supervision and interpretation of studies is conducted on a continuous 7/24/365 basis facilitated by the companies centralized datacenter (PACSHUB) and SuperPacs system, the latter of which was developed in conjunction with CARESTREAM Health Systems.

Diagnostic Imaging Services:

Computed Tomography (CT)
The word tomography is derived from the Greek word tomos (slice). CT represents a radiological technique where thin slice pictures of any part of the body can be developed by passing x-rays through the area of interest and then processing them through a complex series of computer algorithms. CT has become one of the most commonly employed diagnostic tests for evaluating a wide range of conditions affecting all structures of the body in both an inpatient, emergency, and outpatient setting.

Over the past ten years CT has become an outstanding modality for producing images of the blood vessels that supply the organs of the body and this procedure can be done with a simple injection of contrast material into an arm vein. This test is referred to as CT Angiography (CTA) and has almost entirely replaced the need for the more invasive and dangerous diagnostic method of catheter angiography where the radiologist had to place a thin plastic catheter directly into the arteries that supply the body part to be studied and inject contrast material.

The RIMA group provides the full gamut of diagnostic CT interpretive services at both hospitals and outpatient imaging centers. Studies are performed on state of the art equipment including the most current generation of 64 slice CT scanners utilized for advanced vascular applications including assessment of the coronary arteries (CCTA). Read More About CT Services

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Over the past twenty years, MRI has become a mainstay of diagnosis particularly  in the fields of neuroradiology and musculoskeletal imaging.   MRI is an imaging technology that uses no ionizing radiation; a feature that adds substantially to its appeal.  It also has an extremely high degree of contrast resolution which makes the technology ideal for visualizing small structures within the brain, neck, spine and joints. It works by aligning the hydrogen atoms in the body by placing them in a magnetic field and then introducing radiowaves to alter the alignment of the magnetization. This causes the hydrogen atoms to emit a weak radio signal which is amplified by the scanner.  The signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to develop enough information to be reconstructed by complex computer algorithms into a diagnostic image that can be interpreted by a radiologist.

A particular forte of Renaissance Imaging, the group has among its members several of the individuals who pioneered the clinical development of MRI and authored many of the most important initial papers describing the value of the technology.  The group has extensive experience and provides service along a wide spectrum of MRI technology including Open Scanners operating at 0.35T, dedicated extremity scanners at 1.0T, and High Field units operating at 1.5 and 3.0 T.

Frequently we will administer a small amount of a special MR contrast material into your vein to enhance the quality of the pictures.  All the studies that we produce are individually tailored to the patient’s clinical problem, be it an issue with the pituitary gland, a suspected brain aneurysm, a narrowed blood vessel, a herniated / ruptured disc in the spine, or suspected tendon or ligament tear. Read More About MRI Services

Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (as used in x-rays). Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time, they can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

Conventional ultrasound displays the images in thin, flat sections of the body. Advancements in ultrasound technology include three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound that formats the sound wave data into 3-D images. Four-dimensional (4-D) ultrasound is 3-D ultrasound in motion.

A Doppler ultrasound study may be part of a vascular ultrasound examination. Doppler ultrasound is a special ultrasound technique that evaluates blood as it flows through a blood vessel, including the body’s major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck.

There are three types of Doppler ultrasound:
•    Color Doppler uses a computer to convert Doppler measurements into an array of colors to visualize the speed and direction of blood flow through a blood vessel.
•    Power Doppler is a newer technique that is more sensitive than color Doppler and capable of providing greater detail of blood flow, especially when blood flow is little or minimal. Power Doppler, however, does not help the radiologist determine the direction of blood flow, which may be important in some situations.
•    Spectral Doppler. Instead of displaying Doppler measurements visually, Spectral Doppler displays blood flow measurements graphically, in terms of the distance traveled per unit of time.
Read More About Ultrasound Services

Radiography (X-ray)
Projectional radiography refers to the use of x-radiation to produce two dimensional images of different parts of the body. For the first fifty years following the discovery of the x-ray, this technique was the only diagnostic method that encompassed the field now know as Radiology.

Projectional radiography remains one of the mainstays of diagnosis particularly for initial investigation of suspected abnormalities of bones and the chest. Initially best also know as “plain film” radiography because the images were captured and stored on an emulsion based film, the field has largely been transformed into a direct digital modality.
Read More About Radiography Services