C-arm technology transitions to digital X-ray detection
Orange County, CA - April 21st 2017 - C-arm X-ray machines, named for the C shape of the X-ray detector, are used flexibly in various ORs within a hospital or clinic. C-arms provide many benefits to physicians, such as their ease in facilitating image capture through free movement around a patient. The rising demand of medical imaging has made C-arm machines more prevalent than ever. Used on a daily basis, these are implemented in ORs and radiology departments to take anatomical images for a wide range of medical procedures.
The biggest development in recent C-arm technology has been the transition to digital detectors. Manufactures, taking into account the size of the device, are working to produce a more accessible design for crowded hospital maneuverability. Finally, “G-arm” systems are entering the market to help physicians see a more complete X-ray of their patients.
In the interest of providing a high resolution image with minimal doses of radiation, manufacturers have switched their X-ray detectors from analog image intensifiers to digital flat panel digital detectors. Siemens and Philips were two of the first manufacturers to enter the digital detector market in 2014. Siemens’ Cios Alpha features a field of view that is 25 percent larger than traditional C-arms, allowing physicians to fully control the system from one of three touchscreens- one on the machine itself, one on the workstation, and one on the tableside control. Philips’ Veradius Unity allows the operator to use an outline tool to create free format drawings on live fluoroscopy images.
Dual-detector G-arms are the newest mobile X-ray imaging devices on the market. G-arms are mobile C-arms that can take images across two different planes. Their detectors are positioned so they can capture images from two different directions, resulting in simultaneous views across the two perpendicular planes. Whale Imaging is leading the way in G-arms with its second unit on the market as of January 2017. Almost all medical tech manufacturers are shifting to digital imaging equipment as the beneficial properties are innumerable.
