Can infections be imaged in implanted devices?

Approximately 30,000 to 60,000 patients per year in the United States are c andidates for heart transplants, mechanical assist devices, or both. These procedures, devices, and the associated short- and long-term care required are expensive and command significant utilization of health care resources. Because device related infection and thrombosis are potentially devastatin g complications of implanted device utilization, early diagnosis of infecti on, thrombosis, or both, would be helpful for initiation of early therapy t o prevent untoward clinical events. Therefore, the development of a robust imaging technology for identification of infection could be cost effective if early assessment, diagnosis, and therapy of infected devices led to impr ovements in morbidity and mortality.