What is Digital Hospital?

Digital Hospital?
Goal : Filmless , Paperless ease of patients record
Type : Filmless (PACS)
Paperless (HIS / EMR)
Connectivity & compatibility : LAN & WAN

Need Standards
Image Data : DICOM 3.0
Textual Data : HL7

HIS
RIS

EMR Electric Medical Record

Hospital Information Systems

Digital
Modalities
MRI , CT , PET, SONO
Etc

PACS
Picture Archiving
Communication Systems

Digital
Radiography
DR & CR

Patients Benefit

Staffs Benefit

Prevention from Film Loss or

Damage
Less Distress due to No Film
Working on diagnosis
Less Visit to Hospital
Smooth and Comfortable
Service

Improved Reading Quality

High Image Quality
Sharing of Diagnosis result
Easy Access to Patient Images
More Research Activity

Maximization
of Benefit
from Digital
Hospital
Hospitals Benefit
Saving of Time, Space and Labor for Film management
Easy Communication between hospitals
Permanent Preservation of Patient Images
Increasing Profit in Long terms standing
Best customers reputation from Improved Medical
Service Quality

Conventional System Workflow

Conventional

Patient Visit

Film Processed

X-ray

Quality Checked
Re-exam

Organize & Send

For Read

Consulting
Lost

Lost
Medical Record/
Insurance Claim

Lost

Lost

Film Delivery

Transcribe

Reading

Diagnosis
Lost
Film Storage
4

Filmless System Workflow

Film-less

Patient Visit

X-ray

Consulting

Transcribe

Server

Reading
Treatment

Quality Checked

Why go Digital?

Benefits of digital radiography

1) Digital technology gives you the high-definition images you need to help you
make accurate diagnoses quickly and confidently.
2) Easy-to-use image processing tools such as contrast and color enhancement assist in image analysis
and diagnoses.
3) Increases office productivity and efficiency. (Short processing time and image acquisition)
4) Helps create a safer treatment environment for you,
your staff and your patients.
5) Simplifies image storage and retrieval.
6) Enhances communication with patients, colleagues and insurance companies more easily.
7) Creates a reassuring image to your patients and adds value to your practice.

What is DR (Digital Radiography)?

Definition of DR (Digital Radiography)
Digital radiography is a form of x-ray imaging, where digital X-ray sensors are used
instead of traditional photographic film.
Advantages include time efficiency through bypassing chemical processing and
the ability to digitally transfer and enhance images.
Also less radiation can be used to produce an image of similar contrast to conventional radiography.
One particular type of digital system uses a Memory Phosphor Plate (a.k.a. PSP -- Photostimulable Phosphor)
in place of the film.
After X-ray exposure the plate (sheet) is placed in a special scanner where the latent formed image is
retrieved point by point and digitized, using laser light scanning.
The digitized images are stored and displayed on the computer screen.
This method is halfway between old film-based technology and current direct digital imaging technology.
It is similar to the film process because it involves the same image support handling but differs because
the chemical development process is replaced by the scanning process.
This is not much faster than film processing and the resolution and sensitivity performances are contested.
However, it has the clear advantage to be able to fit within any pre-existing equipment without modification because
it replaces just the existing film.
Also, sometimes the term "Digital X-rays" is used to designate the scanned film documents
which are handled by further computer processing.
Other types of digital imaging technologies use electronic sensors.
A majority of them first convert the X-rays into visible light (using a GdO2S or CsI layer),
which is further captured using a CCD or a CMOS image sensor.
Some of them use a hybrid arrangement which first converts the X-rays into electricity (using a CdTe layer) and
then captures this electricity as an image with a reading section based on CMOS technology.

 Principle

of DR

X-ray

X-ray interaction

Conversion to
Electric charge
Charge readout

X-ray

X-ray

Scintillator
Photoconductor
(a-Se)
a-Si TFT Array

Direct
Direct
Absorption
Absorption

Scintillator
Visible light

Photodiode
(a-Si)

CCD

a-Si TFT Array

Indirect
Indirect
Absorption
Absorption

 CR vs. DR

Two
TwoStep
StepModality
Modality

One
OneStep
StepModality
Modality

Manual
ManualImage
ImageCreation
Creation
Exposure
Exposure

Automatic
AutomaticImage
ImageCreation
Creation
Exposure
Exposure

X-ray
1step

X-ray
IP
IPCassette
Cassette
Manual IP Insert

2step

Exposure
Exposure

Optical
OpticalLens
Lens
CCD
CCD

X-ray

Flat
FlatPanel
Panel

Flat
FlatPanel
Panel

1step

Reader
Reader

Image

CR

Image
CCD based
DR

Image
a-Se based
DR

Image
CsI(Tl)/a-Si Based
DR

 Comparison DR and CR
DR
Image Area
Method of Image
Acquisition
Image Display
Time
Space
economical
efficiency
Stability

14 x 17, 17 x 17
Direct transfer to image
workstation
by using Detector
Less than 10 sec.

CR
Max. 14(35Cm) x 17(43Cm)

By using IP Cassette, same like film

cassette processing.
About 1~2 minutes
(IP Cassette Reading Time)

Need for computer and monitor

Need space for IP Reader

No accessories

IP change ( after 30,000 times)

Good

No portable IP cassette

 Same condition CR vs DR

Image from CR

Image from DR

 Comparison of CCD and Flat Panel

CCD DR
Image Size

Flat Panel DR

14 x 17, 17 x 17

14 x 17 [ 17 x 17]

173 m, 140 m, 108 m

168 m [ 139m]

Image Display Time

4~10 sec.

3~6 sec.

Life time of Detector

semi-permanent

Fragile glassware

Need more space than FFD

Need small space

Low cost

Low cost

Climate tolerant, high dose

Better image quality, low dose

Pixel size

Space
economical efficiency
Others

Consist of DR
Mechanical Parts
U-Arm Type
Ceiling Type
Etc
X-Ray Parts
X-Ray Generator
X-Ray Tube
Detector Parts
CCD Detector
Flat Panel Detector
Software Parts
Workstation
Image Processing S/W

DR
(Digital
Radiography)

ACOMAS Commitment to the channel

1. Provide the best value proposition for detectors & systems
2. Ensure optimized image quality performance
3. Provide remote image quality support
4. Provide service training for dealer and OEM personnel
5. Provide service and operator manuals in multiple languages
6. Maintain required regulatory approvals
7. Quick response for Technical Support
8. Back up unit