From the January/February 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


But Hellwig has a strategy to make sure the panels aren’t handled too roughly by staff. “I think that once they know they’re holding something that costs as much as their house in their hand, they’ll be more careful,” he says.

Still, any risk associated with how much of a beating the panels can take needs to be weighed against the benefits they deliver. “With the Cesium Iodide detectors, the dose can be reduced in half compared to traditional CR” says Carestream’s Titus.


Although Hellwig’s statement doesn’t hold true across all housing markets, it does drive home the point that the panels are pricey, easily hitting six figures. Having something that expensive that can be picked up and moved about does warrant more care in use. An average CR cassette, meanwhile, may barely hit four figures.

Another option that impacts costs but is important to consider is going wireless. “In the hospital market we certainly see the trend moving into DR,” says Titus. “In particular, hospitals are adding DR wireless technology.”

Imaging on the move
Mobility has also improved in DR. Fujifilm, which has offered a portable CR system for years, now has the DR counterpart —the FDR Go. According to Fabrizio, many of Fujifilm’s customers are looking at portables first when they’re considering the move to DR. “It’s been that way for a while, so we had to have a DR portable.”

Siemens’ Niepel shares a similar sentiment. “The majority of customers are going with wireless, but some do still stay tethered because of the savings,” he says.

According to Niepel, there’s no clinical difference between tethered and wireless systems, but the convenience makes wireless technology more attractive. There’s also the benefit of infection control — no wires means less chance of picking up dangerous microbes.

One concern some customers have when mulling over the idea of going wireless has to do with the very thing that makes it a more attractive option. “Some customers are concerned about running out of power on the wireless detector,” says Niepel. “But the good news is that our panels charge while they’re in use. Even in the worst case scenario that you leave it out overnight and come in to do an emergency scan, you can always connect to a power chord.”

Technology updates
The only things increasing with dose are the solutions being provided to lower it. Beyond hardware improvements, that are slow to evolve in a mature market, software and reporting solutions are key.

“Dose structured reporting into a global database is something that all hospitals will connect to in the future,” says Fujifilm’s Fabrizio.

January/February 2014 Magazine

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