The company is developing and making specialized medicines for treating multiple sclerosis, dermatological disorders, female health concerns, cancer and is creating new diagnostic imaging techniques. Berlex, Inc. is a pioneer in the imaging market. It has introduced a broad range of imaging agents. Its contribution began in 1988 with the introduction of the world's first magnetic resonance imaging agent, Magnevist® (gadopentetate dimeglumine) injection. Berlex is headquartered in New Jersey and the U.S. affiliate of Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany.

A bone scintigraphy is a nuclear medical test used to detect increased calcium metabolisms with technetium labeled diphosphonates. Pathological bone processes present themselves primarily as activity enrichment.

See Bone Scan and Multiphase Bone Scintigraphy.

(dB) A customary logarithmic measure most commonly used (in various ways) for measuring sound. Decibel is a way to express the ratio of two sound intensities: dB=10log10I1/I2 being I1 the reference. If one sound is 1 bel (10 decibel) 'louder' than another, this means the louder sound is 10 times louder than the fainter one. A difference of 20 decibel corresponds to an increase of 10 x 10 or 100 times in intensity.
The intensity of ultrasound is measured in db/cm and decreases during the propagation.
For sound pressure (the pressure exerted by the sound waves) 0 decibel equals 20 micropascal (µPa), and for ultrasonic power 0 decibel sometimes equals 1 picowatt.
See also Phon, Pascal, Logarithms, Proportionality Constant, Watt, Diagnostic Imaging.

The digital mammography is an electronic imaging procedure of the breast. The number of breast imaging facilities equipped with digital mammography (also called computed radiography mammogram (CRM), CR mammogram) is growing due to a number of advantages.
Digital images can be stored directly in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and allows the printing, enhancement, magnification, or brightness and contrast manipulation for further evaluation. The sensitivity of digital mammography compared to film mammography is better in women with dense breasts, a population at higher risk for breast cancer, due to these post processing possibilities.
'The American College of Radiology's (ACR) Imaging Network found that digital mammography detected up to 28 percent more cancers than film-screen mammography in women age 50 and younger, premenopausal and perimenopausal women, and women with dense breasts, as reported in October 2005 in the New England Journal of Medicine.'

Advantages of digital mammography:
Existing mammography equipment can be converted to 'digital' operation, which allows cost savings compared to integrated digital mammography systems.

See also Breast MRI.

E-Z-EM, Inc. is headquartered in New York and develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic imaging products.
The business of E-Z-EM encompasses CT imaging, virtual colonoscopy, gastro devices and accessories, and healthcare decontaminants. E-Z-EM is also a third-party contract manufacturer of contrast media. The company provides contract manufacturing services in various product areas, including pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, as well as the marketing of radiological medical devices, such as entry biopsy needles and mammography wipes and related accessories.
Bracco Diagnostics, Inc. , the US-based subsidiary of Bracco Imaging S.p.A. and part of the Bracco Group, announced in Oct. 2007 that it has entered into a merger agreement to acquire E-Z-EM, Inc. (NASDAQ: EZEM) for a total consideration of about $ 240 million . Upon completion of the procedure and subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities, Bracco Diagnostics Inc. will incorporate E-Z-EM.