Rochester, NY - October 03, 2005 - Logical Images, a developer of software that helps clinicians make faster and more accurate diagnoses of bioterrorism and other visually diagnosable conditions, announced that its flagship VisualDx® software system has been chosen by the Delaware Division of Public Health for installation in hospitals statewide. The system is being funded through grants from the National Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, administered by the federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).
"We're pleased that Delaware chose VisualDx as a way to increase bioterrorism preparedness," said Michael O'Connor, president of Logical Images. VisualDx will be installed in every acute-care hospital emergency department in the state, he added.
VisualDx is an interactive software system that allows clinicians to input specific information based on their examination of a patient. The system then searches its database of more than 10,000 images of 600 diseases and comes up with high-quality photos and descriptions of possible conditions that fit the information the doctor has input, enabling a rapid and more accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. Because of its detailed information on anthrax, smallpox and other agents that might be intentionally released by terrorists, bioterrorism preparedness experts describe VisualDx as a valuable tool in the war on terrorism.
"VisualDx was designed as a dual-purpose system, so in addition to its terrorism-related capabilities, it is used on a daily basis in hospitals, clinics and public-health settings to quickly and accurately identify visually diagnosable conditions such as infectious diseases, sexual transmitted diseases, skin conditions, oral lesions, drug eruptions, and the like," said Art Papier, M.D., Logical Images' chief scientific officer. "Particularly in areas with limited access to dermatologists or infectious-disease specialists, VisualDx helps emergency physicians and primary care doctors by giving them visual as well as textual information so they can make an accurate diagnosis and start the right treatment quickly."
The dual-purpose nature of VisualDx is especially important to emergency preparedness officials in Delaware. "Using VisualDx on a day-to-day basis to diagnose rashes and the like means there isn't going to be a learning curve in an emergency," said Gerald Watson, safety manager for Alfred I. duPont Hospital in Wilmington and a member of the Delaware State Emergency Preparedness Committee.
Other hospitals in the state that have installed or are slated to begin using VisualDx include: Beebe Medical Center Hospital in Lewes; St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington; Christiana Hospital in Newark; Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford; Kent General Hospital in Dover; Milford Memorial Hospital in Milford; and Wilmington Hospital in Wilmington.
In addition to Delaware, VisualDx is now being used by the U.S. Army, major hospitals and public health clinics throughout New York City, Washington, D.C. and the state of Mississippi, in regional resource centers throughout New York State, and many other emergency departments, hospitals, physician offices and clinics in the U.S. and worldwide.
About Logical Images
Logical Images is the worldwide leader in image-intensive recognition and visual knowledge software. Its products increase decision-making effectiveness and reduce the cost of answering the question "What am I looking at?" Logical Images' patent-pending technology logically integrates photographs and information, helping users to recognize and diagnose by entering known and observable information. The company, which is privately held and based in Rochester, N.Y., employs a team of full-time imaging experts, leaders in computer-based design and knowledge management, and full-time physicians. Its medical editorial board includes more than 50 international physician experts, and its library of professionally photographed digital medical images is the largest and most diverse collection of medical images in the world. More information is available at www.logicalimages.com.