From detectors to mobile systems, company offerings strengthen its position in the X-ray market
(Waterloo, November 16, 2023) What began as a concept presented at RSNA 2017 has now become a clinically proven solution offered in a variety of products. At the 2023 meeting, Canadian manufacturer KA Imaging is ready to showcase a robust product line that can attend both fixed rooms and mobile systems. “1 exposure, 3 images, 0 motion artifacts”, a summary of the company patented SpectralDR technology, can now be implemented in a variety of environments for better clinical and operational outcomes.
One of the most prominent use cases is the ICU. Medical imaging plays a critical role in monitoring the condition of ICU patients, commonly to check for conditions like pneumonia or pneumothorax or to rule out other potentially serious pulmonary issues along with verifying the tips of catheters or endotracheal tubes.
Imaging in the ICU can be challenging because of reduced patient mobility, the need for imaging outside regular operating hours, and the need for quick imaging turnaround for bedside decision making.
Generally limited on tissue differentiation, portable chest radiography can be ineffective at accurately spotting complex pulmonary issues and sometimes even to localize the tips of lines and tubes. Other modalities like CT are not portable, bring increased radiation exposure, in addition to risks associated with intra-hospital patient transportation. Furthermore, reimbursement for ICU patients is capitated so an unnecessary CT scan increases cost of care and the financial burden for hospitals.
“Our radiographic spectral images separate materials such as water (i.e., soft tissue, lung lesions etc.) and calcium (i.e. bones, retained foreign objects, in dwelling devices or other calcifications) and are higher contrast thus, easier to read for a variety of clinicians including intensivists, residents and radiologists”, said Dr. Karim S. Karim, CTO of KA Imaging. “Agile decision making is critical in this context. The ability to get increased diagnostic information from a procedure as simple as a chest X-ray in the intensive care unit can simultaneously ease the burden on ICU staff, intensivists, and radiologists,” continued Amol Karnick, President and CEO of the company.
Another condition that can be better seen thanks to dual-energy subtraction are pulmonary nodules. Initial results presented at ECR 2022 reported increased lesion visibility in 43% of the cases thanks to the dual-energy images generated by the company device. The unprecedented capability to offer other views, like laterals or obliques, has also enabled some non-obvious use cases for X-ray, like cardiac calcifications.
“The flexibility of uses for our technology has really made it possible to use dual energy for all general radiography, and it doesn’t have to be limited to a niche like it was before. Single-exposure dual-energy subtraction – our SpectralDR technology inside the Reveal detector – adds confidence without adding radiation or extra work or time”, said Karnick.
KA Imaging is exhibiting at booth 7948 in the North Hall, showcasing the Reveal 35C detector (FDA 510(k) cleared), as well as the company premium mobile system, Reveal Mobi Pro (coming soon). Visitors can also learn more about other solutions, and see some real clinical cases.
