AAOS: Carestream Displays Metal Artifact Reduction Software

Carestream Health will demonstrate optional advanced metal artifact reduction software for its CARESTREAM OnSight 3D Extremity System at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Booth #1313) annual meeting. Carestream’s OnSight 3D Extremity System captures high-quality, low-dose 3D extremity exams. The company’s new metal artifact reduction software recently received FDA 510(k) clearance.
 
“Advanced metal reduction software can provide enhanced visualization of metal content and reduce the visual distortion caused by screws, implants, rods and other metal objects to create improved visibility and diagnostic confidence,” said Helen Titus, Carestream’s worldwide marketing director for Ultrasound & CT. “This capability delivers diagnostic information that is highly valued by orthopedic surgeons and specialists.”
 
The system’s touch screen interface allows technologists to adjust for either moderate or complex metal content. The metal artifact reduction software can be activated prior to the scan or it can be applied after the original reconstruction is complete. Both the original and corrected images are always available to view and compare. The optional software makes it easier for radiologists and orthopedic surgeons to accurately diagnose a patient’s condition and develop treatment plans. Image processing can be adjusted and optimized according to the amount of metal present. 
 
Twin Cities Orthopedics, of Golden Valley, Minn., recently installed the OnSight 3D Extremity System at a clinic in Woodbury, Minn.
 
“The OnSight 3D Extremity System provides weight-bearing images with exceptional quality that allow me to see fine details so I can determine if a fusion or a fracture has healed,” said Bryan Den Hartog, M.D., a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon at Twin Cities Orthopedics. “These images give me the confidence to determine when patients can go back to work and resume normal activities.” 
 
Another advantage of the system is its ability to perform preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing exams for flat foot and cavus deformities. “With this system, I can see the degree of fusion across the area of interest and determine how much surface area is connected by trabeculae. The image detail and image quality are much better than traditional CT systems,” said Dr. Den Hartog.
 
Unlike traditional CT systems, this cone beam CT system has a large-area detector that captures a 3D image of the extremity in a single rotation, which takes only 25 seconds. A patient simply places the injured extremity into a donut-shaped bore in the system. Since the patient’s head and body are not confined, patients do not experience the claustrophobia that often occurs with traditional CT systems. Dose is significantly reduced because only the affected body part is imaged. The compact extremity system can be installed in an exam room and plugs into a standard wall outlet.
 
Carestream is shipping its OnSight 3D Extremity System in the United States, Europe and other countries.