INNOVATIVE IMAGING IN THE OPERATING ROOM
Of course, it’s not just animals that stand to benefit from innovative Varian imaging technology in the operating room. After receiving FDA approval in May, Breakaway Imaging recently signed a distribution deal with Medtronic for its revolutionary O-arm™, a multi-dimensional system that uses both a Varian image detector and a Varian X-ray tube to bring state-of-the-art imaging techniques into real-time surgery.

“The O-arm helps surgeons visualize the patient in 3D during surgery. That perspective enables them to perform minimally invasive procedures,” explains Rich Grant, president and CEO of Breakaway Imaging. “Three-dimensional imaging enables a high degree of precision and that can lead to a reduction in the number of repeat surgeries. Varian digital image detectors and X-ray tubes have enabled us to incorporate high-precision robotics, so the system is easy to use in the operating room and can help reduce the number of X-rays and radiation dose to the patient.”

Confident that the O-arm will fill a vital gap in the operating room, a physician network of angel investors has provided funding for the company, which plans to begin shipments in 2006.

IMPROVED DIAGNOSTICS FOR EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT PATIENTS
Widespread availability of quality imaging systems is also helping ear, nose, and throat specialists to improve diagnostics and minimize treatment time. When David Palmer, MD, first considered purchasing a full-body computed tomography (CT) scanner for his practice, ENT Specialists in Salt Lake City, Utah, he expected to lease the suite next door to provide enough space and meet ventilation and electricity requirements. Then he attended the annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology and saw the MiniCAT™ for ENT, produced by Xoran Technologies using Varian image detectors.

“The image quality of MiniCAT for ENT is better than I was getting with conventional CT,” Dr. Palmer explains. “Plus the price, space requirements, and electricity needs were perfect. We were going to buy a used CT scanner, but I just fell in love with the MiniCAT and bought that instead. We never did have to renovate that extra suite.”

The ENT Specialists practice currently uses the scanner about four times a day, and the doctors are able to read their own scans instantly. “We don’t have to wait for extra trips to the hospital. If I find something, I can ask a patient there and then about any symptoms and get an up-to-the-minute history,” says Dr. Palmer who, in his first few months using the MiniCAT, was able to quickly diagnose three serious cancers. “The accuracy is phenomenal so I feel more confident making diagnoses with the MiniCAT than with conventional CT scans. Often, I used to have to perform a nasal telescopic exam to verify CT results. Now I know that if I see a normal result, it is most likely normal.”

INCREASED CLARITY FOR SURGEONS
In Nuremberg, Germany, Ziehm Imaging, a leading manufacturer, developer, and distributor of mobile C-arms for hospitals and clinics worldwide, is now incorporating a Varian X-ray image detector into its digital mobile C-arm, the Ziehm Vision Flat™ system. Previously, the system used an image intensifier that included a bulky TV camera and often caused image distortion because of sensitivity to magnetic fields.

“Mobility is very important to our customers,” says Martin Törnvik, marketing manager for the Ziehm Vision Flat. “Using a Varian digital image detector, the C-arm is more compact and clinicians have easy access to the patient.” Another advantage, Törnvik says, is that the detector produces high-quality digital images that show exacting bone structure and soft tissue in the same display. “This enables doctors to make highly accurate diagnoses and treatment plans, whereas with conventional image intensifiers, there was always a compromise to be made.”

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