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Mobile C-arms: Is the era of flat panel detectors and 3-D technology upon us?

by Lauren Dubinsky, Senior Reporter | March 10, 2016
From the March 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


OrthoScan and Hologic are two manufacturers that offer mini C-arm systems. OrthoScan has recently been pushing FPDs heavily in the market and has been successful with it, according to Matthew Blaustein, founder and CEO of Bluestone Diagnostics. “I think if a customer has money, they will buy the flat detector. You see the flat detector being a much more viable option than it would be on the large C-arms,” says Blaustein.

Coming to you in 3-D
In April, Ziehm received FDA clearance for its Ziehm Vision RFD 3D C-arm, which is the only 3-D C-arm with an FPD that provides a 16-centimeter edge length per scan volume, according to the company. Its flat panel is 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters and the system is ideally suited for orthopedics, traumatology, spinal injury as well as cardio-vascular hybrid applications. It also includes Ziehm Smart-Scan technique, which provides 180-degree image information of any anatomical structure.

Along with many other modalities including mobile CTs and O-arms, 3-D C-arms are entering the surgical operating room. The O-arm costs significantly more than a 3-D C-arm. The O-arm can cost up to $1 million, depending on the configuration of the system, but a 3-D mobile C-arm can cost around $500,000, according to MD Buyline. The other 3-D C-arms on the market are Siemens’ Arcadis Orbic 3D, which was introduced in November 2011, and Philips Healthcare’s BV Pulsera, which received FDA clearance in September 2006.

Lisa Reid, director of surgery and urology segments for Siemens, thinks that the industry will start to become more interested in 3-D technology in the OR in the near future. Since the 3-D C-arms can be used for 2-D and 3-D imaging, it’s more versatile than having a CT scanner in the operating room and you can use the 3-D C-arms for a variety of different procedures. “These are the types of technologies customers want — they want to be mobile, they want to be flexible, they want to be versatile in the OR, and save costs, but they need these more advanced-type technologies like flat panel detector and 3-D,” says Reid.

New on the market
At last year’s RSNA meeting, Siemens introduced three new additions to its Cios family of C-arms — the Cios Fusion, Cios Connect and the Cios Select. Cios Fusion and Cios Connect are still pending FDA clearance, but Cios Select received clearance in mid-January.

“We wanted to update our entire product line to suit the current market because a lot of our customers are looking to cut costs, but as well, they need good C-arms for things like backups to their interventional labs and hybrid OR labs,” says Reid. The Cios Fusion has an FPD and a field of view about 160 percent larger than Carms with standard IIs, according to the company. This system is ideal for orthopedic surgeons because they are imaging the hips and knees and want smaller systems to be able to maneuver them into different positions.

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