Carestream Health plans to show a number of new products and work-in-progress technologies at the RSNA 2011 meeting in Chicago.
The work-in-progress Carestream DRX-Revolution mobile digital radiography (DR) system will offer new features to enhance productivity and improve patient care. Availability of the DRX-Revolution is contingent upon U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, with worldwide availability anticipated in mid-2012.
Carestream will also demonstrate its work-in-progress cloud-based portal, which is designed to allow patients to access and view their own medical imaging data and share it with their physicians. The patient portal could eliminate the process of sharing patient imaging data using CDs, DVDs, or radiographic film.
When available, the portal will be included with Carestream's Vue for Cloud-Based Services, which would enable authorized physicians and radiologists to access patient data, imaging exams, and radiology reports to provide consultations and subspecialty reading from any location.
Carestream will also focus on its Vue RIS and Vue PACS software at the RSNA 2011 meeting. Vue PACS is designed to eliminate the cost of data migration through use of a metadata indexing system that allows access to imaging exams stored on existing archives. The PACS also equips onsite or remote users with reading, reporting, advanced 3D processing, and other tools to enhance productivity.
In addition, the company's Vue Motion app recently received FDA clearance for use with mobile devices such as Apple iPads.
The company will also highlight its new second-generation wireless cassette-sized Carestream DRX detector, which is available worldwide. The detector weighs 7.9 lb and displays a preview image in less than four seconds to enhance radiology workflow. An optional three-second exposure mode is designed to improve medical imaging of larger patients and enhance image quality for healthcare providers with lower-power x-ray generators.
Other new detector features include multiple exposures for long-length exams on any converted analog x-ray room to expedite use in orthopedic applications (pending clearance), the use of a hospital's remote authentication dial-in user service to certify and authenticate the DRX detector with the console for secure data transfer, and support for 375 lb of distributed patient weight and up to 250 lb on a 4-cm diameter.
Carestream will also display tomosynthesis breast imaging exams on its Carestream Vue mammo workstation as a work-in-progress. The workstation is integrated with a range of breast imaging modalities, computer-aided detection (CAD) systems, archives, PACS, and information systems, including the patient tracking and mammography information system from PenRad Technologies and peerVue's Qualitative Intelligence and Communication System (QICS).
