The North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital Trust in the north east of England has implemented Agfa HealthCare’s affordable and versatile direct
radiography (DR) upgrade solution. This upgrades the Trust’s previous CR system to a wireless DR system, maximizing existing investment in imaging equipment. The upgrade involved a quick and easy installation that required minimal training. The new system provides excellent MUSICA image quality, fast previews, low cycle times and smooth integration with radiology and other hospital-wide information systems. Immediate benefits have been found, particularly in the hospital’s Chest Clinic, with significantly increased patient throughput whilst retaining high image quality.
Darren Smith, PACS Manager at the Trust, commented: “The DX-D Retrofits are being used in two new Siemens general purpose x-ray rooms and an existing Philips Chest Clinic. These rooms were CR only and by adding Agfa HealthCare’s DX-D Retrofit solutions we now have the workflow and image quality benefits of DR. We’ve also seen immediate benefits, especially in the Chest Clinic with significantly increased patient throughput whilst retaining high image quality. In addition, the wireless capabilities offer convenience and portability, which is a huge benefit in a busy hospital. Our staff also found the system very intuitive so additional training was kept to a minimum.”
Demographic data is automatically fed to the NX workstation from the PACS, and acquired images are transmitted directly onto the detector, streamlining workflow and speed of exams. Within seconds after the acquisition, radiographers can pre-check the image, approve the technical quality and transmit it wirelessly to the PACS. The detector fits into any standard bucky tray and can be used in multiple X-ray modalities, meaning it can be shared among several rooms or modalities as needed, maximizing efficiency and keeping costs low.
Agfa Healthcare
Mortsel, Belgium