Processing Software Designed to Enhance Catheter Visibility for Digital Radiography Applications

A newly designed application within new advanced image processing software provides clear-cut visualization of catheters for effective, confident line placement assessment.

Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium) reported the North American launch of its Musica2 catheter processing software, which was presented at AHRA 2013, the Association for Medical Imaging Management’s annual meeting, on July 28–31, 2013, in Minneapolis (MN, USA). Designed to increase the visibility of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines and other low contrast, tube-like structures such as endotracheal or feeding tubes, in general radiology applications, catheter processing is a new option within MUSICA2 image processing available in both new and existing Agfa HealthCare DR and CR systems with NX workstation.
Mobile computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) images are frequently used by specialists at bedside, postinsertion, to validate the best placement of critical care catheters such as a PICC lines. Specialized image processing algorithms in the Musica2 catheter processing software are tuned to enhance the visibility of the fine, translucent catheter material in a way that improves edge and tip detection. This allows for high clinical confidence and immediate assessment of the line placement.

“Radiographic evaluation of PICC line placement has historically been one of the most challenging aspects of critically ill patient care. Agfa HealthCare is pleased that our advanced image processing capabilities can now make this process much easier for both the clinician and the patient,” said Greg Cefalo, US digital imaging unit-business manager, Agfa HealthCare. “Dense areas in the radiograph and/or complex anatomical structures can easily mask the PICC line, making it difficult and time consuming to verify the exact placement. We’ve created a special version of Musica2 image processing that instantly enhances the catheter detail, causing the line to pop in the image and be clearly identified; this eliminates time-consuming reprocessing and more importantly, can reduce the need for additional patient exposures.”

Musica2 image processing reveals bony and soft tissue features in only one image, across the entire dynamic range, without having to make manual adjustments or windowing or leveling the image in most instances. The catheter processing, with one click, automatically creates a second image with enhanced detail so there is little or no need for manual reprocessing thus increasing productivity for the clinician, technologist, and radiologist. Overall, this reduces both exam time and patient dose/exposure. In addition to lowering the dose delivered to the patient in accordance with the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle, patient comfort is supported with a distinct, immediate visualization of the line placement.

Musica2 is image processing software known for producing excellent image quality even at low exposure levels. The company’s NX workstation is designed by and for technologists for optimized workflow and stellar connectivity. Inherent to all Agfa HealthCare DR and CR solutions, Musica2 image processing automatically analyzes the characteristics of each image and optimizes the processing independent of user input and exposure levels. Musica2 image processing is unaffected by the presence of collimation or direct X-ray exposure in the image background and produces consistent, high-quality results.

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