Latest Flat Panel Detectors and X-Ray Tubes Presented at CMEF

A leading supplier of X-ray tubes and digital X-ray detectors displayed two major product lines at a Medical Equipment Fair in China.

A 43-cm x 36-cm cassette-size detector for digital radiography (DR) is the first NEMA-sized DR panel designed in conformance with US National Electronic Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standards to replace film cassettes used in existing radiographic and multibucky applications. The DR panel is also available with a portable hand-held enclosure for use in mobile imaging systems. Moreover, a flat-panel detector (FPD) has been designed for full-field digital mammography. The novel direct capture panel has a compact design, integrating a narrow edge enabling radiologists to acquire images close to the chest wall with results in seconds.

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA) participated at the China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF) in Fuzhou (China), October 31-November 3, 2011. Varian presented two major product lines: the PaxScan flat panel digital detectors and PaxPower X-ray tubes, which included the PaxScan 3024M DR system and the PaxScan 3024M, a flat-panel detector that has been designed for full-field digital mammography.

“The PaxScan 3024M architecture, based on Varian’s amorphous silicon [a-Si] design, promises to extend the capabilities of digital mammography into markets where its environmental stability makes it an attractive option over existing technologies,” said Stephen Kimmel, vice president sales and marketing for Varian’s X-ray products group. “The panel is also frame-rate capable for advanced mammographic applications.”

The PaxPower FP1000 X-ray tube is a new-generation high-performance tube designed specifically for digital radiological imaging systems. The tube is a rotating-anode tube, developed for high demand applications, and can also be used on mobile surgical computed tomography (CT) and interventional systems. The X-ray tube is lightweight, small in size, and is capable of 1,000 watts continuous heat dissipation. “When used in conjunction with the PaxScan dynamic imaging panels the FP 1000 provides a powerful, space efficient imaging system that can facilitate diagnostic and interventional imaging,” added Mr. Kimmel.

Each year, the CMEF show is supported by Varian’s Pan-Pacific sales group with facilities located in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The Pan-Pacific group works with Chinese original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) and also sells new replacement X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors throughout the region. Their customers are chiefly local manufacturers, independent service organizations, and asset management groups that support a wide variety of imaging equipment.

Varian also demonstrated radiation oncology technology for making treatments faster, more accurate, and easier to plan and deliver. The demonstration included the TrueBeam system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery, designed to treat tumors with excellent speed and accuracy; treatment planning and information management software products, as well as solutions for planning and providing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and RapidArc radiotherapy.

Related Links:
Varian Medical Systems
China International Medical Equipment Fair