Even the best staff, the best training and the best techniques won’t get you very far unless you can see what’s going on inside the body. That’s why Hoag is always on the leading edge of advanced medical imaging technology.
Radiation exposure during interventional fluoroscopy procedures is a serious issue. We’re one of the first treatment centers in California to adopt the Omega’s FluoroShield™ technology, giving our providers the ability to complete complex imaging procedures with greatly reduced X-ray exposure to patients and staff.
When we can see more, we can do more. And that can make a big difference in your care. So don’t wait. Contact Hoag today.
FluoroShield™ is a advanced form of interventional fluoroscopy that utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce and manage the amount of radiation delivered during the procedure. It’s the first medical imaging device to receive FDA clearance that utilizes AI for this purpose.
Studies show utilizing the FluoroShield™ system can reduce radiation exposure during interventional fluoroscopy procedures by up to 84%. Interventional fluoroscopy is a versatile form of medical imaging that can produce a kind of live, “X-ray movie” of organs and tissues inside the body.
FluoroShield™ was developed by Omega Medical Imaging, based in Sanford, Fla. It is the first and only system cleared by the Food and Drug Administration that uses machine learning to limit the X-ray dose delivered during interventional fluoroscopy imaging procedures.
During an interventional fluoroscopy procedure, FluoroShield™ uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the procedure’s Region of Interest (ROI) — the part of the anatomy the procedure is focused on visualizing.
The platform’s AI-assisted TruBlock™ system then automatically collimates — or focuses and aligns X-ray energy — on the ROI, only taking more extensive Field of View (FOV) images every few frames, incorporating a lower-frequency refresh rate of the peripheral image area.
After the auto collimation process, the system then utilizes next-generation image processing to integrate the data from the ROI and FOV images to create a blended image. This blended image incorporates the clearest imaging captured during the procedure, putting that information together to create a high-quality, combined image.
This process results in a significant, actual reduction of radiation exposure to surrounding anatomy near the ROI during interventional fluoroscopy procedures. The information presented can then be used by healthcare providers to explore treatment options, plan the placement of medical devices and other considerations.
The development of this advanced artificial intelligence imaging system by Omega Medical Imaging and the platform winning FDA clearance is important because traditionally, interventional fluoroscopy delivers one of the highest radiation dosages of any medical imaging systems.
One session of interventional fluoroscopy, for example, can deliver a radiation dose equivalent to between 250-3,500 chest X-rays, depending on the procedure.
Despite the radiation exposure risks of traditional procedures, interventional fluoroscopy is an important tool in medical diagnosis and treatment. That makes Omega’s ongoing development of safer healthcare solutions in this area particularly exciting.
Fluoroscopy is used in in a wide variety of procedures, including:
The placement of medical devices inside the body, including stents to help hold open blocked or narrowed blood vessels.
Barium enemas and barium swallow studies, which utilize a special substance called barium that allows physicians to view the real-time function and movement of the GI tract.
Angiograms, which are special procedures that help healthcare providers visualize the movement of internal organs and blood vessels.
Catheter insertions, to ensure the safe insertion of medical catheters into the urinary tract, blood vessels and biliary system.
Guidance for orthopedic surgeries, like joint replacements or treatment for complex fractures
Even the best staff, the best training and the best techniques won’t get you very far unless you can see what’s going on inside the body. That’s why Hoag is always on the leading edge of advanced medical imaging technology.
Radiation exposure during interventional fluoroscopy procedures is a serious issue. We’re one of the first treatment centers in California to adopt the Omega’s FluoroShield™ technology, giving our providers the ability to complete complex imaging procedures with greatly reduced X-ray exposure to patients and staff.
When we can see more, we can do more. And that can make a big difference in your care. So don’t wait. Contact Hoag today.