August 25, 2011 — Konica Minolta Medical Imaging announced the implementation of the wireless Aero digital radiography (DR) system at Sanford Health, the largest, rural, non-profit healthcare system in the United States. Sanford installed two Aero DRs in the emergency department (Trauma 5) and will order three additional units. The company will order one portable unit for the main radiology department, one stationary and one portable for Sanford Heart Hospital, set to open in spring 2012.
Several factors influenced Sanford Health’s decision to select the Aero DR. They included an increase in image quality; the ability to decrease patient radiation dose exposure; ease of use; and workflow enhancements due to system speed.
According to Greg Zerfas, RT(R), radiology supervisor at Sanford Health, they have lowered dose 40-50 percent with Konica Minolta’s Xpress CR compared to prior computed radiography (CR) systems. After installing the Aero DR, he has been able to reduce dose another 40 percent without impacting image quality.
“With the emphasis on lowering dose exposure, this system is an ‘ace in the hole’ that enables us to use the lowest dose possible, following the ALARA principle and Image Gently pledge,” he explains. “As a technologist, I can see the image quality with the lower dose is every bit as good as our images before, and in many instances even better.” Zerfas also notes the installed system is even faster than the prototypes they previewed at the company’s corporate headquarters in 2010. “Within two to three seconds, the initial image previews on the technologists’ workstations, so they know almost instantly that they have captured the image correctly,” he says.
The Aero DR flat panel detector incorporates the company’s cesium iodide (CsI) scintillator that boasts ultra-high detector quantum efficiency (DQE) for high-quality images even with minimum X-ray dose exposure. By combining the company’s image processing technology from its Regius CR systems, the Aero DR assures end users consistent and reliable high-quality imaging. The untethered, lightweight wireless system is lighter than 6.6 lbs. and incorporates a unique battery design for extended life and short charge cycles. This makes it an ideal, portable solution for patients who cannot be transported to the DR room.
The system was designed to use the same workstation as Konica Minolta’s CR systems, enabling use of both CR and DR on the same patient depending on study type and view required.
“This product is amazing, our techs have embraced it and the customer service is exceptional,” adds Zerfas. “The Konica Minolta team is working to fit our workflow requirements—they make sure we are 100 percent satisfied and that no stone is left unturned.”
For more information: www.sanfordhealth.org
April 01, 2024 
