Agfa HealthCare’s DR and CR Solutions Provide Tools to Help Manage Patient Safety

Detector technologies for DR and CR give clinicians the tools they need to manage patient dose, image quality and image consistency.

Mortsel, Belgium/Toronto, Canada, November 24, 2010—With Agfa HealthCare’s full range of detector technologies for direct radiography (DR) and computed radiography (CR) solutions, radiologists have the ability to decide when and where to apply specific detector options. Cesium-based CR plate and DR needle detectors allow clinicians to reduce dose as much as fifty percent compared to conventional powder phosphor plates and gadolinium DR detectors. Inherent to each solution is the MUSICA2 intelligent image processing technology that independently adjusts multiple levels of contrast and density within images. The combination of needle-based detectors and MUSICA2 technology can provide high-quality diagnostic images at a dose lower than what is typical without the Agfa HealthCare solution. By producing a high image quality with the assistance of improved technology, the technologist can now spend less time manipulating images and therefore can focus time at the patient’s side. In addition, the radiologist’s workflow is made more efficient, leading to improved productivity.

Tools to provide safe and efficient care for patients

“Patient dose and exposure is a popular topic within the radiology industry, but with patients playing a much larger role in their own healthcare, the concept has crossed over into the public domain,” said George Curley, senior marketing manager for Agfa HealthCare, North America “Agfa HealthCare is committed to providing radiologists with the tools they need to provide safe and efficient care for their patients.”
Agfa HealthCare’s NX Workstation gives clinicians and technologists a common interface for DR and CR systems to streamline workflow. The simple, easy-to-use interface simplifies staff training and helps standardize department operations, while management tools allow for confident tracking and monitoring of performance.

Continuous feedback on exposure levels

Clinicians using NX Workstations are able to determine the correct patient exposure and avoid “dose creep” with the newly defined International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Exposure Index. NX Workstations offer radiologists, technologists, physicians and administrators dose monitoring software that provides continuous feedback on exposure levels (displaying under target and over exposure). They also have the ability to generate reports summarizing exposures being used on specific exams and how much exposures are deviating by department, room, workstation, and technologist.
Support of industry standards

DR and CR systems offered by Agfa HealthCare support industry standards such as DICOM and IHE Profiles, including Radiation Exposure Management (REM), in addition to supporting industry initiatives, including As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) and the Image Gently campaign.

About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,755 million euro in 2009.

About Agfa HealthCare
Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a leading global provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions. The company has nearly a century of healthcare experience and has been a pioneer on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990’s. Today Agfa HealthCare designs, develops and delivers state-of-the-art systems for capturing, managing and processing diagnostic images and clinical/administrative information for hospitals and healthcare facilities, as well as contrast media solutions to enable effective medical imaging results. The company has sales offices and agents in over 100 markets worldwide. Sales for Agfa HealthCare in 2009 were 1,178 million euro. For more information on Agfa HealthCare, visit www.agfahealthcare.com.