Mobile C-Arms Designed for Virtually Unlimited Imaging

A novel mobile C-arm offers a cost-efficient alternative to fixed installed systems without reducing the imaging capabilities.

Ziehm Imaging (Orlando, FL, USA), a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of mobile C-arms, presented its product range at the scientific assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) was held November 27-December 2, 2011, in Chicago (IL, USA).

Global Industry Analysts (San Jose, CA, USA), a market report publisher, predicted extensive growth for the fluoroscopy and mobile C-arm market segments that will be substantially driven by the growing number of minimally invasive procedures. By 2017, the market might reach a volume of USD 1.4 billion. “One of our highlights at this year’s RSNA is Ziehm Vision RFD [radiofrequency detector] hybrid edition that opens up hybrid room applications for physicians working in interdisciplinary environments,” said Nelson Mendes, president and CEO Ziehm Imaging, Inc.

The hybrid edition features the innovative flat-panel technology and delivers high-resolution images with over 16,000 shades of gray and a resolution of 1,500 x 1,500 pixels. The detector is not affected by magnetic fields making it ideal for interventional radiologic procedures; it delivers distortion-free, high-resolution images even when close to magnetic resonance (MR) scanners. The squared display format creates a considerably larger visible area with up to 60% more information per X-ray than conventional image intensifiers.

“The image quality is comparable to many fixed imaging systems. Very often, I forget that I am using a mobile system,” stated Grayson H. Wheatley III, MD, from the Arizona Heart Institute (Phoenix, USA). “I perform percutaneous or catheter-based interventions, on complex aortic problems, such as aortic aneurysms. One of the more innovative procedures I perform…combine the advantages of traditional open surgery with image-guided, catheter-based interventions.”

The Ziehm Vision RFD is precisely customized to hybrid operating room (OR) use criteria. With up to 25 images per second, its powerful monoblock generator also produces high-quality X-rays of moving objects such as beating hearts. The C-arm features a user-friendly touchscreen interface that is mounted to the sterile OR table, an injector interface that synchronizes contrast media with the imaging process, and an interface for external displays. The large C-arm opening enables easier positioning and patient access during the intervention.

This next-generation C-arm also comes with the new software SmartVascular, which enables surgeons to create a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) at any time without having to use the touchscreen. It automates all process steps from DSA to road mapping, allowing vascular procedures to be planned with minimum amounts of contrast media and shorter fluoroscopy times.

The powerful 20 kW monoblock generator with a liquid cooling system that enables almost unlimited fluoroscopy time is now also available for the Ziehm Vision R. This innovative technology allows for completely new imaging possibilities for mobile C-arms with image intensifier in vascular surgery. With its rotating anode, the generator uses a variable pulse width of 4 and 50 ms to produce crystal-clear images. Up to 25 frames per second enable high-quality X-rays of vascular structures with optimum contrast.

The Advanced Active Cooling system keeps the operating temperature steady, prevents the system from overheating, and ensures uninterrupted imaging. Dr. Wheatley confirmed, “the C-arm is often used for long and complex cases in the OR which can take hours to complete. The Ziehm Imaging system holds up quite well and has never shut down due to inadequate heat management. This is critical since the last thing we want to worry about when treating a patient is the C-arm shutting down because of overheating.”

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