Konica Minolta Medical Imaging’s digital wireless Aero DR system will now be used at Sanford Health, the company announced today, describing Sanford Health as “the largest, rural, not-for-profit healthcare system in the United States,” allowing patients who cannot be moved access to X-ray technology.
Sanford Health installed two Aero DRs in its emergency department, the company said, and will be ordering three additional units—one portable unit for the main radiology department, and one stationary and one portable unit for Sanford Heart Hospital, which is set to open in spring of next year.
According to a new report by Klas Research, digital radiography is becoming very popular, thanks to its reduction in dose levels, enhanced imaging quality, and increased patient satisfaction.
Konica Minolta Medical Imaging said Sanford Health’s decision to select the Aero DR included its excellent image quality, lower patient radiation dose exposure, ease of use, increased system speed and the ability to combine the lightweight flat panel with existing X-ray systems, reducing costs.
Sanford Health had been able to lower its radiation dose 40 to 50 percent with Konica Minolta’s Xpress CR and, after installing the Aero DR, the health system reduced patients’ radiation dosage another 40 percent without affecting image quality, according to Greg Zerfas, RT(R), radiology supervisor at Sanford Health.
“With the emphasis on lowering dose exposure, this system is an ‘ace in the hole’ that enables us to use the lowest dose possible, following the ALARA principle and Image Gently pledge,” he explained in the company’s statement. “As a technologist, I can see the image quality with the lower dose is every bit as good as our images before, and in many instances even better.”
Zerfas also noted that the installed system is “even faster than the prototypes the health system had previewed at Konica Minolta’s corporate headquarters in 2010,” as he told the company. “Within two to three seconds, the initial image previews on the technologists’ workstations, so they know almost instantly that they have captured the image correctly,” he said.
“The Aero DR flat panel detector incorporates Konica Minolta’s Cesium Iodide scintillator with ultra-high detector quantum efficiency for high-quality images even with minimum X-ray dose exposure,” the company’s statement read. “By combining the company’s image processing technology from its top-rated REGIUS CR systems, the Aero DR assures end users consistent and reliable high-quality imaging. The untethered, lightweight wireless system is lighter than 6.6 lbs. and incorporates a unique battery design for extended life and short charge cycles, making it an ideal, portable solution for patients who cannot be transported to the DR room.”
“This product is amazing,” said Zerfas. “Our techs have embraced it and the customer service is exceptional. The Konica Minolta team is working to fit our workflow requirements—they make sure we are 100 percent satisfied and that no stone is left unturned.”
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Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is an award-winning health and technology writer who has worked for newspapers, magazines and IBM in her 20-year career. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
