Clinical Studies Underway for Development of New Cone-Beam CT System

An orthopedics and sports medicine center and a diagnostic imaging vendor are conducting clinical studies on a novel diagnostic Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) imaging system.

The compact, low-dose, CT system will be used to capture images of injuries of patient extremities and provide orthopedic solutions for hospitals, clinics, and sports medicine providers. The studies are being carried out at the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC; Buffalo, NY, USA).

Researchers at Carestream Health (Rochester, NY, USA) are working with clinicians at the UBMD Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (Williamsville, NY, USA) to develop the system, which is still investigational in nature, and not yet available for commercial sale.

The Compact CBCT system allows for weight-bearing 3-D imaging of injuries to knees, legs, feet, arms, and hands and will use less radiation than standard CT systems.

Dr. John Marzo, physician with UBMD, said, “We think the novel capabilities of the Carestream CBCT scanner have broad application to the basic science and clinical practice of orthopedics and sports medicine. We are launching an initial clinical study that may help surgeons more accurately and objectively diagnose the degree of instability of the patella. A second collaborative project will validate the ability of the CBCT scanner to measure contact area inside the knee joint, which will be valuable in a host of clinical situations.”

Related Links:

Carestream Health
UBMD
ECMC