Analog to Digital Conversion Technology & Total System Integration Total Enterprise Solution offered by AMPRONIX.

One solution toward serving all of these needs is the integration of technologies. We have all seen how technology and networking has drastically affected the private business sector by improved productivity, reduction of overhead costs, and providing for better overall service. In medicine, we have seen this early data integration with PACS networks and data management, and the adoption of the DiCOM standards.

Interconnectivity is important to cost- effectiveness in health care. This is best accomplished through the use of digital technology, which is why so many manufactures are adopting the DiCOM format in almost of the newer equipment.

With integrated and networked digital technology users can provide imaging services within facilities and across geographic regions, gain maximum benefit from existing resources, and keep costs down through compatibility of new equipment and systems.
For example, workstations, intraoral camera systems, intraoral digital radiography systems, digital panoramic machines, CT scanners, MR imagers, film digitizers, shared archives, laser printers and host computers and mainframes made by multiple vendors and located at one site or many sites can “talk to one another” by means of DiCom across an “open-system” network. As a result, medical/dental images can be captured and communicated more quickly, physicians and dentists can make diagnoses sooner, and treatment decisions can be made sooner. Processing of reimbursements for therapy can be enhanced.

However the challenge is the analog to digital conversion and integration of both technologies into one usable cohesive network of modalities.

Analog-to-digital conversation is an electronic process in which a continuously variable (analog) signal is changed, without altering its essential content, into a multi-level (digital) signal. The input to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) consists of a voltage that varies among a theoretically infinite number of values. Examples are sine waves, the waveforms representing human speech, and the signals from a conventional television camera. The output of the ADC, in contrast, has defined levels or states. The numbers of states is almost always a power of two—that is 2,4,8,16,etc. The simplest digital signals have only two states, and are called binary. All whole numbers can be represented in binary forms as strings of ones and zeros.

Digital signals propagate more efficiently than analog signals, largely because digital impulses, which are well defined and orderly, are easier for electronic circuits to distinguish from noise, which is chaotic. This is the chief advantage of digital modes in communications. Computers “talk” and “think” in terms of binary digital data; while a microprocessor can analyse analog data, it must be converted into digital form for the computer to make sense of it.

A typical telephone modem makes use of an ADC to convert the incoming audio from a twisted-pair line into signals the computer can understand. In a digital processing system, an ADC is required if the signal input is analog.

To complicate this even further, or to simplify it depending upon your perspective, is the adoption of the DiCOM standard.

The digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DiCOM) Standard is a detailed specification that describes a means of formatting and exchanging images and associated information. DiCOM relies on computer industry standard network connections, and media devices that address the communication and storage of digital images from diagnostic modalities such as CT,MR,PET, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, X-ray, CR, digital radiography, digitized film, video capture and HIS/RIS information. It also supports the connection of networked printers, such as laser imagers (cameras).

DiCOM has been embraced by other worldwide standards organizations outside of Cardiology and Radiology. For example, DiCOM has been adopted by the Committee European de Normalization (CEN TC 251) and the Japanese Industry Association for Radiation Apparatus (JIRA). The DiCOM standard has now been implemented in an increasing number of medical products from various vendors.

As far as examples of this evolution of technology in more direct terms you only need look as far as the modern radiology department. Departments where chemical processors are being phased out in favour of newly introduced self-calibrating diagnostic calibre grayscale workstations that are DiCOM compatible and can be managed across an entire enterprise. This is but a small first glimpse at the future of medical network technology. Soon a DiCOM network will be commonplace, linking together all of the imaging equipment within not only one hospital, but also many.

Ultrasounds, Mobile C-Arms, Flouro, Angio, and CRT/MRI, all networked to Dry Film Images, DiCOM and non DiCOM Laser printers, color and grayscale printers, DiCOM Archives and HIS/RIS systems all monitored and integrated to PACS, workstations and even tele-Radiology across and entire enterprise. All of this equipment tied into a common network and able to pass information back and fort as freely as a PC network in any workplace.

This is what you will see in new installations. Digital DiCOM suits, operation rooms, radiology departments, imaging centers all integrated and accessible. Of course this comes with a pretty hefty price tag. And most organizations are not able to put the necessary capitol resources into something of this magnitude.

Recognizing this, the AMPRONIX corporation has come up with a number of unique solutions, that combined provides complete digital conversion technology without a system wide replacement of all existing analog equipment. AMPRONIX, a California USA based corporation has been an provide of medical imaging equipment and solutions for over 22 years. As they are involved in both the service and replacement of existing imaging equipment, they have become expert in the challenges faces by both the biomedical engineers and the administrative staff with their budgetary constraints.

AMPRONIX has grown to be one of the leading value added master distributors and authorized service canters serving America, Europe and the Middle east and so is natural advocate of in-place equipment integration.

The plan AMPRONIX provides integrates existing analog equipment to selective DiCOM devices integrated into current network capable technology. AMPRONIX works with an origination to mix and match digital and analog products to create a transitional solution. By offering DiCOM converters that interface between most existing imaging hardware and a DiCOM network .

AMPRONIX provides a custom solution with standard equipment to provide a simples solution. Additionally they have interpreters for Laser printers, carry a full film imaging solution from Sony, and even offer a high quality diagnostic Greyscale LCD workstation that can interface directly to an analog system with BNC connectors and be reintegrated later to digital. This removes old style CRT monitors without having to replace entire system and creates the DiCOM workstations. AMPRONIX even provides trade in value on existing CRTS helping off set a little of the cost.

With an X-ray film scanner for conversion of existing films, the Sony dry film imager for producing new films, digital X-ray plates that integrate into existing radiology equipment. DiCOM converters and Interface devices for all other non DiCOM storage and Archiving devices and the gray scale and color displays for diagnosis and review of the captured and stored images- medical organizations can now step into a fully digital solution for a fraction of the cost of a new digital suite. And as all of the equipment is reverse integrate able, each piece can be replaced or augmented on the new DiCOM network.

A lower cost solution to the inevitable transition to digital technology provides for a faster return on the existing capitol investment. And the conversion from analog to digital in medical imaging is opening exciting new opportunities for health care organization to increase the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care. For more information on the SeeReal 3D display or any of the other fine products and services offered by AMPRONIX go to their web site at www.AMPRONIX.com, email them at info@AMPRONIX.com, or call them 01-949-788-9930. AMPRONIX, clearly the best choice.