LAS VEGAS, May 15 — Carestream Health’s PACS workstation—with on-board 3D tools— flawlessly completed all clinical imaging exams within the allotted timeframe in the “Workstation Face-Off” at Stanford University’s 10th Annual International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT this week in Las Vegas. These on-board 3D tools ultimately offer significant convenience, efficiency and cost savings, since they eliminate the need for a separate 3D workstation, as evidenced in the Face-Off.
The “Workstation Face-Off” challenged providers of advanced 3D image processing technologies to process and interpret four complex computed tomography (CT) imaging studies. This year’s studies included virtual colonoscopy; PET-CT and CT lung; brain CTA and perfusion (over low bandwidth); and cardiac CT. Carestream Health was the only equipment provider to analyze all cases on its Web-based PACS workstation, a standard Wintel based PC using Intel Xeon processors. The other six providers used specialized, dedicated 3D processing stations, some of which employed special processing hardware.
“During the face-off, I used the same CARESTREAM PACS workstation I use every day to read both routine and complex cases. This workstation has all the necessary tools for diagnosis, so I don’t need to go to a special workstation to access 3D or other advanced tools. I appreciate the convenience provided by a robust, intuitive toolset that allows me to read all my cases from one seat,” said Jennifer A. Hill, M.D., CEO, Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates and Medical Director of Imaging Services, Antelope Valley Healthcare District Hospitals and Clinics, Los Angeles, Calif.
Hill added that the CARESTREAM PACS platform allows her to efficiently read radiology exams for four hospitals and imaging centers geographically dispersed across the Los Angeles area, since she can perform all needed functions, including 3D processing, at any on-site workstation or at her home.
Carestream Health was the first in the industry to begin integrating disparate processing and image analysis tools onto its PACS workstations. Performing advanced 3D processing at PACS workstations can enhance a facility’s workflow, since radiologists do not need to go to dedicated 3D workstations to read these imaging studies. In addition, the CARESTREAM PACS architecture enables 3D and other advanced features to be used on any workstation inside or outside the facility.
Advanced processing capabilities of the CARESTREAM PACS platform include: MPR, MIP, MinIP, volume rendering, complete vessel analysis, cardiac application, virtual colonoscopy, tissue definition tools, automatic bone and bed removal, volume matching, volume viewer, PET-CT, lung application and CT brain perfusion.
The company also announced today that it has re-deployed these advanced 3D capabilities into a new turnkey 3D solution for healthcare facilities that have not yet implemented PACS and for current PACS users with limited or no 3D capabilities. The new CARESTREAM Virtual 3D Solution is available as either a standalone workstation or as a workgroup configuration that permits multiple user access to server-based software from existing workstations. The Virtual 3D Solution will be available for order by U.S. customers in June.
###
About Carestream Health, Inc.
Carestream Health, Inc., is a leading provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. The company was formed in 2007 when Onex Corporation (TSX: OCX.TO) purchased Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Group. For more information about Carestream Health, contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestreamhealth.com.
DIRECTVIEW and CARESTREAM are trademarks of Carestream Health, Inc.
Intel and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation.
2008