Experiences Using New General Radiographic Systems
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RAD Experiences Using New General Radiographic Systems Noriaki Takeda Radiology Department, Otsu Red-Cross Hospital 1. Introduction Otsu Red-Cross Hospital started with the opening of the Japan Red-Cross Society Shiga Prefecture Branch Hospital close to Shiga Prefectural Government Building in 1904. This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our establishment. With 25 departments and 887 beds, this hospital offers a comprehensive range of medical services. Our relationship with Shimadzu Corporation goes back a long way. Following Genzo Shimadzu Jr.'s success in taking X-ray images in 1896, Shimadzu's first X-ray device to run on a commercial power supply was installed in this hospital. (Fig. 1.) Against this background, Shimadzu's new UD150B-40 X-ray high-voltage generator (Fig. 2.) and new CH-200M ceiling type X-ray tube support (Fig. 3.) were installed at our hospital in the autumn of 2003. In this article, I will give a brief description of our experiences with, and thoughts about, these products. I will also provide some examples of examinations that illustrate a major benefit of using these products, namely, the X-ray tube's large movement range. 2. General Features 2.1 UD150B-40 Inverter-type X-ray High-voltage Generator • The UD150B-40 has a novel, rounded design that has received the Japanese Good Design Award. • A color LCD display is used as the control console for setting radiography parameters. • There are illuminations around the control console and in the hand switch that, together with sounds, indicate X-ray tube selection, for example, or that preparation for X-ray exposure is complete or that exposure is in progress. (Fig. 4.) Fig. 1 Early X-ray Equipment Radiodiagnosis has an important position in medicine today. In terms of numbers, a large proportion of examinations are based on plane radiography, which is used to examine many different parts of the body with a wide variety of radiographic techniques. For this reason, a high level of operability and safety to the patient are demanded from general radiographic systems. Up to 400 anatomical programs can be registered. Setting the exposure parameters manually using the hybrid dials makes it possible to complete the required settings more quickly than with conventional products. It is possible to record and display up to 64 sets of previous exposure parameters. 2.2 CH-200M Ceiling Type X-ray Tube Support • Smooth movement is facilitated by the aluminum ceiling rails, which have a dual structure incorporating hardened spring steel. Fig. 2 UD150B-40

Clinical Application The support incorporates a "Center-Find" function as a standard feature. This function stops the assembly at a previously set point. (With other companies' products, this feature is either available as an option or is not available at all.) The vertical motion range for the X-ray tube is an impressive 160 cm, ensuring a wide imaging range. The X-ray tube can be rotated about the support axis and stopped at the desired angle by turning ON the brake from the control panel. This feature is useful in emergencies, for example, when taking images of the patient lying on a...

Table 1 Comparison of Ceiling Type X-ray Tube Supports Made by Different Companies When taking images of a patient lying on a bucky table in a radiography room where two x-ray tubes are used, after setting the supine imaging parameters for one X-ray tube, it may be necessary to quickly switch from one tube to the other if the operator cannot get the patient to move in the way required. With this device, the exposure parameters for the same position are retained even after switching tubes, allowing X-ray imaging of small children and imaging in emergency situations to be...

would be 175 cm. In this case, tall patients' and operators' heads may come in contact with the equipment. Lowering the ceiling rails might also make patients feel uncomfortable If the vertical travel range of the focus were 15 cm bigger, X-raying of the knee joint would be possible in the standing position without having to worry about the installation conditions. Therefore, I would appreciate it if points such as the size of the part supporting the X-ray tube and the operating force required to move the X-ray tube vertically were given further consideration. 4. Points to Note about...