Japanese imaging vendor Shimadzu Medical Systems gave prominent placement to new digital x-ray systems in its booth at last week’s RSNA meeting in Chicago.
The company demonstrated a family of new digital radiography products, ranging from a mobile flat-panel digital x-ray unit to a work-in-progress detector for dynamic studies like fluoroscopy and cardiac exams.
For the mobile x-ray unit, Shimadzu took its MobileART Plus platform, introduced at last year’s RSNA conference, and added a 17 x 14-inch flat-panel CXDI-50G digital detector manufactured by Canon Medical Systems. The new unit is dubbed MobileDART Plus, and is designed to enable facilities to use DR acquisition for mobile studies, an application previously considered within the purview of computed radiography.
MobileDART Plus has storage for up to 2,800 images, and images can be dumped into a department’s PACS via an Ethernet cable from the system. Shimadzu is awaiting 510(k) clearance for the system, according to Frank Serrao, x-ray product marketing manager.
Shimadzu also demonstrated RadSpeed, a new stationary radiography table. An analog version of RadSpeed began shipping in April, and Shimadzu has developed a digital version that uses amorphous selenium flat-panel plates that Shimadzu has developed internally, Serrao said. Digital RadSpeed systems should begin shipping in the summer of 2004.
One RadSpeed feature that Shimadzu highlighted is its automated tomography capability, which enables the system to be automatically programmed for tomo studies. RadSpeed’s table also supports patients weighing up to 650 pounds.
Shimadzu has also been developing Safire, a new amorphous selenium flat-panel detector designed for dynamic studies. Shimadzu touted the amorphous selenium material as providing a more direct conversion to digital than dynamic flat-panel detectors based on amorphous silicon. The company has been working on the Safire project with Sharp Corporation of Osaka and Shindengen Electric Manufacturing of Tokyo.
Shimadzu demonstrated a Safire detector mounted on the company’s AngioSpeed VF dedicated radiography-fluoroscopy system. The system uses a 9 x 9-inch Safire detector, which has an imaging area equivalent to a conventional 12½ image intensifier, Serrao said. A selling point of the system is its fast rotation speed, at 60º per second.
Clinical validation of the digital AngioSpeed VF should take place in the first quarter, with the system available commercially in the summer of 2004. The company also plans to release a cardiac version for its AngioSpeed VC platform.
Other products on display in Shimadzu’s booth included SonialVision, a remote 90/90 R/F table targeted at the European and Asia-Pacific markets, and Pleno, a portable x-ray unit with a stationary anode that is also designed for markets outside the U.S., Serrao said. Meanwhile, Cvision Plus is a remote multipurpose angiography unit that was displayed at the RSNA show with a new 16-inch image intensifier.
In ultrasound, Shimadzu displayed XPlus, an upgrade for the SDU-2200 and SDU-1200 color Doppler scanners. The upgrade includes Shimadzu’s version of tissue harmonic imaging, as well as remote maintenance and integrated teleradiology capabilities.
In CT, Shimadzu did not have a CT gantry in its RSNA booth, but did display images on the 3-D console the company has developed in collaboration with Viatronix of Stony Brooke, NY. Shimadzu engineers are currently working on cone-beam CT technology that would leapfrog existing multislice technology, Serrao said.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersDecember 9, 2003
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Marconi HCP adds deal with Shimadzu, July 12, 2001
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