FEBRUARY 24--Varian Medical Systems Inc. (www.varian.com) has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for its new PaxScan 4030 Medical Digital Imaging System--a small, lightweight, portable digital radiography system that combines a computer workstation with imaging software and an amorphous silicon flat-panel image detector. Varian has configured the new system for use in general medical diagnosis procedures as well as military field hospitals. It will enable doctors to obtain x-ray images of wounded soldiers or civilians more rapidly than would be possible with conventional film-based or computed radiography (CR) systems and will speed up diagnosis and treatment. An x-ray image can be generated and displayed on a monitor within approximately seven seconds.
The PaxScan 4030 Medical Digital Imaging System eliminates the need for hardware and chemicals associated with bulkier, slower, more cumbersome systems that use film or CR. It is less than half the size and approximately half the weight of conventional film-based or CR systems. It can be unpacked and set up by one person in 10 minutes, which is significantly less time than is required with conventional film-based systems still in use. The PaxScan unit is a solid-state, sealed, digital x-ray system developed to work in harsh environments.
The system captures x-ray images that pass through the patient by a detector and are converted into electronic images, which are displayed on the workstation monitor for diagnosis. The digitized images can be stored on a CD, sent via high-speed network or Internet connection to experts in remote locations, and even stored on digital dog tags that are currently being evaluated by the US Army for storing soldiers' medical records. PaxScan images can be saved and transmitted using standard DICOM-compliant communication protocols.
