Peripheral DXA Bone Mineral Density Screening Device Employs Very Low Radiation Dose

A new bone mineral density assessment system features an enhanced form of X-ray technology to measure bone density.

Called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), this noninvasive technology is considered the gold standard in bone densitometry screening of osteoporosis and other conditions that cause bone loss.

Lone Oak Medical Technologies (Doylestown, PA, USA) reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its ACCUDXA2 bone mineral density assessment system for the US market. Unlike Central DXA devices that measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip and spine, the ACCUDXA2 Peripheral DXA (pDXA) device accurately measures the bone density of the fingers--a site with over 50 years of clinical acceptance.

The ACCUDXA2 employs a very low radiation dosage (0.0003 µSv) to generate its images. BMD is an appropriate parameter by which to monitor changes in bone mineral density effected by drug therapy or aging. Physicians are encouraged to compare results of BMD tests taken on a patient over a period of time with the reported ACCUDXA2 precision (repeatability).

“The ACCUDXA2 offers an aging population a convenient and affordable alternative to time-consuming hospital visits for central DXA testing,” said Alan Keim, president of Lone Oak Medical Technologies. “Screenings can now take place in neighborhood clinics and doctor offices. Scan times are less than 10 seconds, and the complete exam can be completed in two minutes,” he added.

The system is also cost-effective and has a data archive with ability to store patient test records.

The ACCUDXA2 BMD assessment system analyzes the finger. A 2009 Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, CA, USA) study indicated the importance of measuring BMD of the phalanges by comparing BMD obtained with ACCUDXA2 with BMD of the total hip obtained by DXA, as well as comparing the association of phalange BMD with osteoporotic fractures.

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