Solon, OH -- (SBWire) -- 12/01/2015 --Universal Medical Systems, Inc. (UMS) of Ohio, the leading innovative supplier of veterinary computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems worldwide and Four Dimensional Digital Imaging LLC announce a new fully robotic CT technology to revolutionize whole-body scanning of standing and moving horses. The systems will be launched at the American Association of Equine Practitioner tradeshow in Las Vegas, December 5th-9th at booth #2425.
The new equipment, from Equine 4DDI is named EQUIMAGINE™, a four dimensional, ultra precise and safe stereodynamic robotics-driven imaging system capable of providing CT, Flouro, Dexa, Tomosynthesis, dynamic videoradiography imaging and digital radiography.
According to David Zavagno, president of UMS, "EQUIMAGINE is a high definition multimodality imaging platform capable of imaging a standing horse in a single series of scans. This is the most exciting development in veterinary imaging in over 50 years by enabling robotically driven imaging. Never before has a product launched with 10 million dollars in backorders in veterinary projects," added Zavagno.
Dr. George Papaionannou, president of 4DDI states: "The energy and excitement for the product in the veterinary community is unprecedented."
To see the demo video visit http://bit.ly/EQUIMAGINE_video
EQUIMAGINE operates as an imaging workstation, which circles the animal with either 2 or 4 robotic extensions. The CT scan allows for a single, comprehensive and accurate model of the patient-specific imaging area to be evaluated. Veterinarians and surgeons can assess whole body scanning during load bearing, evaluation of head, neck, posture pathology and real time high-speed soft tissue deformation tracking. The increasing availability of this technology provides the practitioner with a modality that is extending musculoskeletal imaging from diagnosis to image-based real-time guidance of surgical procedures.
EQUIMAGINE dynamic scanners are capable of providing accurate, sub-millimeter-resolution images in formats allowing 4D visualization of the complexity of any musculoskeletal or other soft tissue region. The robotics enablers reduce scan time and data fusion time and provide multimodal imaging (conventional panoramic, 360 Digital Radiography and somatometric imaging, in addition to stereo volumetric CT and tomosynthesis images) improving anti-scatter, metal correction protocols, soft tissue contrast and incorporating task-specific protocols to minimize patient dose.
UMS is the general distributor of EQUIMAGINE with installations starting in The New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Kennett Square, PA; Equine Hospital in Dubai and multiple sites in California, the East Coast, Texas and Wyoming.
The EQUIMAGINE imaging system will be capable of capturing the equine anatomy in a way never before possible, while the horse is awake, load bearing, as well as moving on a treadmill. "This will revolutionize equine imaging," said Dr. Barbara Dallap Schaer, medical director of New Bolton Center, the large animal hospital of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Existing CT systems require the horse to be anesthetized, and they are limited to the parts of the animal that fit into the cylindrical machines. The EQUIMAGINE system's robotics-driven design provides an unlimited range of motion and unencumbered access to the horse's entire anatomy. The quality and resolution of the real-time images created with the system far exceeds existing technology.
"The open structure of the scanner will allow us to capture high-quality CT images of the standing horse that we have had difficulty imaging before," Dallap Schaer said. "We will be working to develop protocols to diagnose problems in the lower neck, back, pelvis and upper part of the legs."
Products
EQUIMAGINE ™ Helios –Two-robot system capable of 3D volumetric imaging (unconstrained scanning geometry), flat panel based fluoroscopy, tomosynthesis and panoramic imaging
EQUIMAGINE ™ Zeus – Four-robot system capable of 3D volumetric imaging (unconstrained scanning geometry), flat panel based fluoroscopy with 4D capabilities (stereotactic tracking of tissue deformation at high speeds (up to 16,000F/s data acquisition speed), stereo-tomosynthesis and stereo-panoramic imaging
EQUIMAGINE Technology
High-quality and high throughput are rarely used in combination to describe any imaging processes. 4DDI's technology has bridged this gap by combining the ability of imaging extensive portions of the equine patient, at an unprecedented level of resolution, at a rate never seen before. To the practitioner this means profit and precision combined in one technology.
One 4D imaging system is capable of producing multiple imaging modalities, replacing up to six separate systems, resulting in reduced space and duplication of resources. The ability of 4DDI's system to rapidly switch between these modalities increases efficiency, resulting in reduced time needed to examine and evaluate the patient.
This paradigm shift in technology with state of the art, ultra high-speed, high-resolution (significant improvement compared with existing systems: 160 micron resolution), four dimensional (4D) video-radiography (up to 16,000 frames per second) opens new markets for imaging while improving the precision of current diagnostics and advancing patient care.
About EQUINE 4DDI, Four Dimensional Digital Imaging for Equines
4DDI was formed as an innovative company in imaging and medical devices markets. The founders of the company have extensive international experience in research, development and management of new technologies and are building a world-class organization while changing the way imaging products are designed and operated. Central mantras of 4DDI are that dynamic accuracy matters, safe imaging for all and fast adopting personalized medicine for less; underlined by cost containment offerings for every type of practice or hospital.
The company expanded its network (main offices are located in New York, NY) with facilities including the software and hardware development laboratories, clinical sites, regulatory and quality control locations, user groups, marketing and sales groups around the world. 4DDI has developed, patented, licensed and productized imaging products related especially to the diagnostic, surgical planning and intervention robotics-driven radiography markets.
For more information, visit http://www.equine4ddi.com
About Universal Medical Systems, Inc. of Ohio
Universal Medical Systems, Inc. (UMS) of Ohio is the leading innovative supplier of veterinary computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems worldwide. Headquartered in Cleveland, Universal Medical Systems, Inc. offers medical, industrial and research imaging systems from desktop CT scanners to ultra high field three-tesla MRI scanners. An affiliated network of research, development, sales and service teams supports every UMS scanner.
For more information visit http://www.veterinary-imaging.com and http://www.universal-systems.com/
For media interviews, please contact Nancy M. Valent at 216-513-8740 or email: nancy@NMVstrategies.com
