Direct Radiography Technology Provides Fast Cycle Times and Real-Time Previews

A direct radiography (DR) X-ray suite provides excellent image quality with a familiar interface for technologists, facilitates productivity, and improves patient comfort.

The DX-D 500n offers real-time previews and fast cycle times, and increases efficiency within the radiology department and is specially designed for hospital departments and imaging centers that manage up to 125 exams daily. The system integrates computed radiography (CR) and DR with a unified look and feel for both types of exam, for seamless transition and optimized workflow.

Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium) reported that KishHealth System has chosen its DX-D 500n DR X-ray suite for two of the health system's hospitals: Kishwaukee Community Hospital (DeKalb, IL, USA), and Valley West Community Hospital (Sandwich, IL, USA). The system will be used by over 30 clinicians and will enhance and simplify the overall radiographic workflow.

“When we decided to move to DR for most of our digital radiography needs, we were looking for a solution that has excellent image processing for high image quality, as well as the option to integrate with CR to optimize workflow,” said Janey Ciontea, diagnostic imaging manager, Valley West Community Hospital. “The simple, easy-to-use features of Agfa HealthCare’s DX-D 500n provide us with a comprehensive solution that not only meets our equipment needs, but also produces excellent images.”

DX-D 500n offers patient comfort and compliments diagnostic confidence. The high-quality wall stand enables efficient upright imaging, while removable panels in the table add versatility. The system’s cassette-less workflow allows radiographers to preview images and complete studies in a limited number of steps, and then return to the patient, resulting in shorter exam times. Musica2 image processing provides excellent image quality, which complements the radiologist’s diagnostic confidence. “We’ve already seen better-than-expected results in terms of sharpness and consistency of images, workflow efficiency, integration, and ease of use,” said Ms. Ciontea.

The DX-D 500n has the potential to increase the number of patients seen per day by increasing efficiency within the radiology department when there is an influx of patients in need of exams, specifically at Valley West, a critical access community hospital. “We are pleased to be working with KishHealth System to provide a complete imaging solution designed to meet their digital image capture needs with excellent image quality,” said John Clark, vice president of imaging at Agfa HealthCare North America. “By building on their existing Agfa HealthCare CR experience, we are able to provide a seamless transition for technologists and allow the hospitals to have high productivity and high image quality, and to reduce workflow inefficiencies.”

The DX-D 500n offers a unified look and feel for CR and DR exams; and streamlined workflow procedures through its NX workstation and Musica2 image processing software. “It was important for us to choose a solution that offered an easy transition and integration into the overall workflow of our clinicians,” said Jodi Haeffner, manager, diagnostic imaging, Kishwaukee Community Hospital. “The familiar user interface of the DX-D 500n provided a minimal learning curve for our technologists and radiologists, cutting down tremendously on training, and getting our staff up and running in a matter of hours.”

Musica2 image processing is used with both Agfa HealthCare’s DR and CR, allowing a single workstation to process images from either DR or CR. Musica2 image processing software “intelligently” analyzes all the image data simultaneously for “body-part independent” processing. This allows enhanced contrast detail for both bony and soft tissue in the same image.

Further benefits for hospital clinicians and technologists from the DX- D 500n include a three-second display time and integration with the radiology information system (RIS) to autopopulate exam information. The full integration of the NX workstation and generator not only captures the technique parameters with the image, but also eliminates the need for a second console for the generator. Image management can be handled on a single computer screen, allowing the technologists to select techniques and conduct a full field review of the image.

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