How The Premier Mini C-Arm Provides A Clearer Picture

If you need a clearer picture when taking X-rays in your practice, you may want to consider adding the Premier Mini C-Arm to your diagnostic armamentarium. The device’s compact design, easy application and enhanced resolution reportedly make it useful for a variety of applications. The iso-centered C-arm is well balanced and rotates 360 degrees. Fluoroscan, the manufacturer of the device, notes the Mini C-Arm’s easy navigation allows for easy viewing of 15-inch (38-cm) swiveling high intensity monitors from any angle. The Premier device features a 45-micron focal spot X-ray tube. Not only is this the smallest of any mini C-arm, it will give you “the clearest resolution and the most detailed images you will find,” according to Fluoroscan. The company emphasizes that the combination of a low dose X-ray and a tightly collimated beam significantly reduce scatter radiation and exposure risks typically found with conventional C-arm systems. John Steinberg, DPM, has used the Premier device and has found the low dosage to be a strong benefit. Getting ‘Superior Visualization’ For A Number Of Applications “The key advantage is a low-dosage, readily accessible, live image X-ray which is convenient for small in-office procedures,” says Dr. Steinberg, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics/Podiatry Service at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Steinberg says he and his staff use the Premier Mini C-Arm to assess fractures, remove foreign bodies and hardware, and to help ensure precise localization of intraarticular injections. Fluoroscan says you can magnify a patient’s anatomy for “superior visualization” by using the device’s 6/4 Dual Mode image intensifier. This feature allows you to switch from a 6-inch (15-cm) to a 4-inch (10-cm) field of view. The device’s Mosaic Mode can display four updated images and the image tools let you enhance edges, focus on areas of interest, flip images and zoom in. The company also points out that the device has a High Speed Mode that lets you accelerate your acquisition of images. Fluoroscan adds that Premier’s Snap Shot helps ensure optimal images with a minimal amount of exposure by stopping the X-ray when you have reached image optimization. Digital acquisition and a 45-micron focal spot produce high-definition images with superior clarity, the company says. Image definition improves as the distance between the patient and X-ray tube decreases so you can magnify without losing detail. “The image is of slightly lesser quality than a typical plain film X-ray, but for the procedures we use it for, this is not a limitation,” notes Dr. Steinberg. What About Image Storage? In terms of storage, the Premier Mini C-Arm enables you to store up to 4,000 images on the hard drive or use the DICOM transfer. The product comes with two printer options. As Dr. Steinberg points out, the Premier Mini C-Arm provides hard copy images that allow him and his staff to document procedures readily. Fluoroscan also notes that the device’s Audit Mode enables office staff to more readily document system use patient by patient. This mode documents patient names, recording times and the number of X-rays that have been taken.