FDA Clears Agfa’s CR, DR Cesium-Based Detectors

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Agfa Healthcare’s DXD Imaging package, which includes cesium bromide needle-based image plates for computed radiography (CR) devices and cesium iodide detectors for digital radiography (DR) units.

Using these detectors with Agfa’s CR and DR devices, as well as its Musica processing software, allows for dose reduction of up to 40 percent for adult exams and up to 60 percent for neonatal and pediatric exams, according to Agfa. All cassette sizes are available, including one that fits easily into neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) incubators, the company said.

The ability to manage radiation dose takes on a special significance in neonatal and pediatric healthcare because premature infants may go through as many as 30 to 40 examinations during treatment. “Reducing radiation dose is a key objective for care providers globally, and Agfa HealthCare is developing ways to help hospitals achieve these goals,” said Louis Kuitenbrouwer, vice president of Imaging at Agfa HealthCare. “This is a subject that touches all of us.”

Already, Cesium-based detectors have been used in examinations for over 60 million people worldwide, Agfa claims. With the launch of Agfa HealthCare’s Fast Forward program, hospitals can upgrade from traditional CR to Cesium-based CR or DR, extending the potential for dose reduction to more than 100,000 patients each month.

Zwanger-Pesiri, currently one of the largest non-hospital based radiology practices in the United States, conducted its own study to verify the dose reduction capabilities of Agfa HealthCare’s solution. The study aimed to determine whether Agfa HealthCare’s DX-D 300 DR system required less exposure and patient dose compared to two other systems in use at Zwanger-Pesiri. The results showed that, while the amount of dose reduction varied depending on the type of exam, the average dose in most cases was more than 40 percent lower with the Agfa HealthCare system, while still providing high quality.

“We want to ensure that any hospital or private practice that is focused on image quality can benefit from the advantages of the NIP plates,” said Kuitenbrouwer. “With our Fast Forward program, hospitals can add CR with NIP to DR rooms as a backup that provides the same image quality and dose settings, and/or use a cassette-based system for special exams such as sunrise X-rays.”

Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a global provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions.