Mobile DR Technology

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 November 2011 11:53 Written by admin Tuesday, 6 September 2011 08:14

Over the past 2 years the price of DR equipment has dropped precipitously and the adoption of this technology has increased in a wide variety of healthcare practices. DR presents a huge advantage by offering quicker results, higher resolution x-ray images, and lower doses of radiation for the patients. 

For a comprehensive list of all the benefits of DR over CR please see our post from July 8th, 2011. Mobile x-ray businesses have, in general, been slower to pick up on DR technology and for a variety of good reasons, but many of the issues that have held them back in the past have been addressed; making now the perfect time to reconsider a purchase.

One of the main concerns that mobile x-ray companies often express is how heavy and cumbersome the DR panels can be. By shopping around a bit, you can find panels they weigh well under ten pounds and have form factors that are only slightly larger than a standard cassette size.

Consider looking for a panel that has a slim case around it that can support the weight of a patient lying directly on it for abdominal, hip and other shots that could a put a strain on an unprotected panel. Also make sure that the cover has a good, sturdy handle for easy portability.

Inexpensive but powerful touchscreen tablets have reduced the bulk and complication of having to haul a laptop into the x-ray rooms. These tablets can be mounted directly on to the portable x-ray machines and can be easily removed for security when the machine is not in use. When these systems are manufactured properly all of the cables are completely hidden.

Using mobile DR has some serious advantages over using CR or film. A quality mobile DR will cut back on the amount of time required for a tech to be on-site with patients. The x-rays can be reviewed for quality just seconds after acquiring the image. Compare this with the CR where the tech has to take the cassettes out to the vehicle for scan and review. This time savings alone can mean one tech can pack more visits into a single day.

Top Veterinary Digital X-ray Options For Image Acquisition And Archiving

Last Updated on Monday, 4 April 2011 09:43 Written by admin Monday, 18 April 2011 09:38

The veterinary x-ray department can vary from the largest facilities found at teaching colleges and large-animal hospitals to mobile x-ray systems. Because veterinarians must be prepared for a wide variety of digital imaging needs, they want flexible digital imaging and storage options, which is one of our specialties at Dicom Solutions. Alara, Kodak, AGFA and Opal all have quality products perfect for use in the veterinary environment.

Alara’s CrystalView systems are useful for the veterinarian who is looking for a veterinary digital x-ray imaging system for the home office that is both affordable and can handle a low volume of digital images. The CrystalView conveniently fits on top of a desk. One convenient feature is that you can share the CrystalView reader through the use of workstations that are networked.

Kodak offers its Point of Care imaging system along with a mini-PACS component suitable for veterinary x-ray needs. This is a complete system that allows you to not only take digital images, but also view and store them using the mini-PACS.

Many veterinarians who want a mobile Veterinary digital x-ray system find this to be a great fit.

Dicom And Mobile X-Ray Systems

Last Updated on Monday, 4 April 2011 09:26 Written by admin Monday, 14 March 2011 09:22

DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, and it is the current format used for many different types of medical digital images taken from a variety of modalities. Although it is considered commonplace now, medical facilities quickly realize just how important it is when they have the experience of having to deal with film x-rays or digital medical images translated into a format other than DICOM. Because DICOM is the common computer format used in a variety of medical applications, its use also extends to mobile x-ray systems as well.

Many medical facilities and hospitals rely on a large variety of digital imaging components that make up their entire radiology suite of diagnostic tools. This is also the case with mobile x-ray systems. Most have a digital imager, often in DR or CR mode, to capture the raw digital image data. However, the digital image information then needs to be put into the proper format so that the image can be saved, stored, viewed and distributed electronically. This is where having a PACS system connected to your mobile x-ray unit helps tremendously.

The DICOM format also helps with equipment compatibility. Having imagers, PACS, printers and other components made by different digital imaging manufacturers could spell trouble in terms of all of the different digital pieces being able to read and communicate with each other, but because DICOM is the common digital image format, all of that hassle is eliminated.

When you are traveling and working in a mobile x-ray unit, you want to have many of the same features in your digital imaging equipment that you are used to having at your home office. You can set up a clinical workstation using a laptop computer, for example, in order to view the DICOM images that you take in the field. With wireless capabilities added to the mix, you can also have access to your servers back at home so that digital images can be quickly and efficiently saved for further reference. You can also connect to your network as well, allowing you to send the digital images that you take while traveling to consulting physicians, to the patient’s file at your home office, as well as to an archive for safe storage.

We offer a wide variety of options for hospitals and medical facilities both large and small when it come to DICOM-format mobile x-ray systems, as well as used equipment at affordable prices.