Royal Philips has launched a new premium digital X-ray room with improved workflow and enhanced patient positioning tools in a bid to help reduce patient waiting times.
Philips' DigitalDiagnost C90 is a ceiling-suspended digital radiography system, offering a live tube camera, room configuration capabilities and exam automation technologies, designed to provide improved patient and radiographer experiences.
The C90 is said to help reduces procedure length, allowing more patients to be seen comfortably without compromising patient care.
The DigitalDiagnost C90 integrates the Philips Eleva X-ray user interface platform and a live camera, which helps improve the patient positioning process by placing the radiographer's positioning tools on the Eleva tube head, while the radiographer can remain at the patient’s side.
This is said to reduce the number of movements for the radiographer between the patient and the control panel, which can speed up workflow by up to 28 seconds per examination. According to Philips, with 67.5% of X-ray retakes resulting from incorrect patient positioning the C90 can help to minimise time-consuming repeats, and decrease patient waiting times for a smoother, more effective, experience.
“As Radiographers we welcome any advancement in digital X-ray that can improve patient positioning and image quality, enhance the workflow of departments and provide optimal patient care,” said Emily Keyte, paediatric team manager radiographer, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “As a dedicated paediatric imaging department, the system is a great addition to the digital X-ray service and allows us to meet the workflow demands. The system ensures high quality images are produced in a timely manner providing a positive patient experience.”
With the touchscreen and a live camera features built into the Eleva Tube Head, patient positioning is said to be improved by giving radiographers clear view of the collimation area which can help alleviate potential imprecise collimations, such as with obese patients. 94% of users asked think that the live camera images at the workstation helps to avoid retakes1. As well as enhancing department workflow, the DigitalDiagnost C90 can be used as an educational tool, allowing student radiographers to observe positioning from the control room without having to crowd the patient.
The C90 also uses new image processing software to provide high quality images of any anatomical area and to remove bone structures from chest images for an unobstructed view of the lung fields and soft tissue.
“Radiography is vital to many areas of medicine, and our aim is to support clinicians provide the best for their patients, by delivering the most advanced tools,” said Paddy Lightfoot, modality specialist DXR, Philips UKI. “By developing next generation software that drives workflow efficiencies as well as advanced imaging capabilities, Radiographers can deliver faster exams, with more flexibility, without compromising on diagnostic confidence and patient care.”
