Mobile C-Arm Allows Fluoroscopy at the Point-of-Care

A portable, lightweight fluoroscopy and x-ray C-arm allows imaging of the extremities in rural, isolated, and remote settings.

The Turner Imaging Systems (Orem, UT, USA) Smart-C-arm x-ray imaging device focuses on mobility and portability, with no need for special equipment to wheel the device around. The collapsible, battery-powered system weighs just seven kilograms, and comes with an integrated surgical platform and an independent articulating arm. It is particularly useful for humanitarian aid workers, sports medicine, in-office outpatient orthopedic surgeries, battlefield care, extremity injections for pain management, mobile radiology units, emergency room use and more.

Fully wireless, the system has no cords, cables, or need for a power supply. Features include a carbon fiber frame for durability and strength; a 15x15 cm high-sensitivity flat panel detector (FPD) with a complementary meta-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor that provides easy positioning in tight spaces; intuitive imaging software on a touchscreen tablet; and a sophisticated imaging algorithm with automatic detection of dense objects and adjustment of contrast and brightness to optimize images and improve visualization. An independent monitor cart allows for clear field-of-view (FOV) positioning.

“As one of the largest purchasers and evaluators of imaging equipment in the United States, I believe Smart-C is one of the most unique innovations to be introduced to our industry in many years,” said Howard Berger, MD, president and CEO of RadNet (Los Angeles, CA, USA). “Its portability, cordless design and high-quality images will attract users in multiple diagnostic imaging settings. As RadNet was an early investor in Turner Imaging Systems, we congratulate the company’s management and employee base in receiving FDA clearance.”

A C-arm is an imaging scanner intensifier whose name derives from the C-shaped arm used to connect the x-ray source and x-ray detector together. Although C-arms have radiographic capabilities, they are used primarily for fluoroscopic imaging during surgical, orthopedic, and emergency care procedures. Using a C-arm provides high-resolution X-ray images intraoperatively and in real time, allowing the physician to monitor progress and immediately make any corrections.

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Turner Imaging Systems