Thales Unveils World’s First Portable Detector with Embedded Patient ID

Thales (Paris, France) unveiled the latest Pixium Portable 3543 DR at the 2017 Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting (RSNA) held in Chicago from November 26 through December 1. The Pixium Portable 3543 DR is the first ever truly standalone device with embedded patient identification that works in auto-detection mode without connection to any external device.

Thales, a global technology leader for the aerospace, transport, defense and security markets, has often played a pioneering role in the field of flat panel detectors. In 2008, the company had launched the world’s first wireless portable detector, followed by the launch of the lightest cassette size detector in 2012, and a unique auto-detection feature performance in 2015. Following the launch of the launch of its Pixium Portable 3543 DR in 2016, Thales has been researching on how to ensure images are seamlessly assigned to patients and easily stored in a way that allows doctors and technicians to examine multiple patients easily.


The new Pixium Portable 3543 DR works in auto-detection mode and does not need to connect to any external devices, thus making it easier and quicker to operate than legacy portable systems. This results in higher efficiencies as practitioners can exam multiple patients at minimal dose, anywhere in the hospital. It allows for images to be taken at the bedside, scanning of patient ID bracelets to link the images to the patient and storing them directly on the detector. An easy-reading display indicates the number of images taken per patient and the total number of images stored in the device for an ulterior upload to the radiology room. This eliminates the need for numerous CR cassettes and meets the growing need for reducing the system’s total cost of ownership.

“Producing systems and machines to improve efficiency for a group of people such as these, who are already at the top of their game to start with, is no small accomplishment. This is why we are proud to unveil this product,” said Jean-Jacques Guittard, Vice President, Microwave Imaging Subsystems. “The new Pixium Portable 3543 DR with embedded patient identification has quantifiable benefits to the quality of care and the speed by which these talented individuals can accomplish their vital tasks for the good of the community.”