CHICAGO — Konica Minolta showcased a number of new technologies slated for release in 2018 last week at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference.

The products include its image processing solution, REALISM; two new AeroDR HD Wireless Flat Panel Detectors; and its web-based tool for imaging departments, AeroRemote Insights. It also showcased new enhancements to its existing Exa Platform.

Below is brief overview of their capabilities:

REALISM:

The REALISM advanced image processing system enables physicians to process soft tissue and bone data separately to provide more clarity to different areas of the image, enhancing sharpness and contrast to reveal subtle aspects for assessing even the most difficult anatomies.

“It allows the physician to make a more complete diagnosis and hopefully, avoid having to take another image,” Guillermo Sander, senior marketing manager – Americas at Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, told HCB News. “If we can avoid another x-ray, the patient’s happier due to fewer exposures and shorter exams. It just makes for more efficient processing and you get a quicker diagnosis.”

The system also works with Konica Minolta's CR technology, adding great new value to more legacy systems. REALISM reduces the need for window-level adjustments by creating visualizations of the bone and soft tissue simultaneously.

REALISM, launched in November, adds clinical value across a wide range of Konica Minolta products and is now available on the latest version of the CS-7 software.

Aero DR HD flat panel detectors:

REALISM is further strengthened by the addition of Konica Minolta’s AeroDR HD Wireless Flat Panel Detectors, with two new sizes set for release on the market this January.

With the 10”x12”, clinicians will be better able to image fine structures of smaller anatomies, such as extremities, and can also evaluate infant health in neonatal intensive care units by fitting inside incubators to perform x-rays. The 17”x17” is wider and square, making it better suited for imaging large anatomical areas, such as the thorax, chest and abdomen. Because it is larger, it also can be used for stitching legs and spines, and it does not need to be rotated, enabling quicker exams.

All AeroDR HD panels allow clinicians to switch between high definition (HD) and high dynamic range imaging (HDR). AeroDR HD produces images of 100 micron pixel size for a high level of detail while HDR imaging aggregates data from four pixels for a wide range of grays, allowing for images that reveal subtle details in soft tissue.

The introduction of these two sizes follows the release of the 14" x 17" which has been on the market for a year.

“Those new sizes give our customers the very best durability in the industry, very best image quality, dose savings and very best analytics because the detectors have embedded sensors in them that now give us more data to generate these performance dashboards for customers,” David Widmann, president and CEO of Konica Minolta, told HCB News. “That’s what’s being launched, ... that whole digital engine.”

The panels can be diagnosed by users when dropped and are also available with the company’s U-arm systems.

The new sizes will be available in January 2018.

AeroRemote Insights:

AeroRemote Insights enables customers to monitor and improve workflow, accuracy and uptime with easy-to-use data analytics available from any computer or mobile device.

The tool provides information on productivity, user performance and AeroDR system health, allowing managers to assess the quality of work by technologists and in exam rooms, reduce issues such as rejected image and repeat exam rates, and ensure optimal calibration and performance of their Aero DR systems.

“If you can reduce the number of rejected images, that means you’re spending less time on the exams,” Steven Eisner, senior product manager of services at Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, told HCB News. “You can see more patients. Wait times are reduced for the patients. Dose is reduced for the patients if you can avoid a redo of an image. And you can see which technologists are doing well and which ones aren’t. You can figure out the right kind of training necessary. If you can get everyone working efficiently, you’re definitely going to have a more productive and more cost effective department.”

It also allows for comparisons of quality among departments and hospitals across the industry.

The tool is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2018.

Exa Platform:

The Exa Enterprise Imaging solution is now equipped with new functionalities including performance dashboards for measuring daily exam volume, radiologist performance, and referring physicians’ ordering preferences. The addition of this feature enables administrators and department managers to create customized reports with information that is necessary for the well-being of their organizations.

Other enhancements are non-DICOM data viewing capabilities and a customized workflow engine.

The aim of these additional features is to further help physicians and providers succeed in value-based health care.

“Our focus right now is how the market is changing from quantity of care to quality of care,” Steve Deaton, president of HCIT at Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, told HCB News. “In the past, it’s been to perform that study efficiently and get paid. Now you have to ensure, as the market changes to value-based care, that the quality has increased. That’s what tying these things together enables us to help our customers do better.”

The upgrades are available now.