Twin Cities Hospital Advances Diagnostic Imaging Capabilities with 2 New High-Tech Systems

Oct. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Twin Cities Community Hospital now offers patients of North County two new, state-of-the-art imaging systems for improved diagnostics: a digital imaging system for use in assessing the spine for abnormal lateral curvature, or scoliosis; and a nuclear imaging system for enhanced diagnostic capabilities for detecting cancer and other internal medical issues.  
“We have advanced to a whole new level of Nuclear Medicine diagnostic capability and are thrilled to be able to offer such high-caliber diagnostic tools at Twin Cities Community Hospital,” says Mark Lisa, Chief Executive Officer of Twin Cities Community Hospital, adding that the hospital’s combined $810,000 investment in the innovative new imaging equipment ($20,547 for the scoliosis equipment and $789,521 for the nuclear imaging equipment and installation) is an indicator of its ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of medical care to the residents of northern San Luis Obispo County.

Digital Imaging Equipment

Twin Cities’ newly installed digital imaging system from Konica Minolta (http://www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa/products/cr_solut...), called a Digital Image Stitching Application, electronically stitches individual digital images into a single, continual image to allow radiologists at Twin Cities the ability to evaluate the spine in its entirety in one single view, in as little as ten minutes. The system, which consists of an upright mobile cassette holder, cassette with digital imaging plates, and software program, improves upon the former, more tedious methods that typically took 30-45 minutes and involved multiple traditional X-ray images processed in an X-ray darkroom.

Twin Cities Community Hospital Director of Imaging Services, Eleze Armstrong, explains that the instantaneous, digital process results in lower radiation doses to the patient, lower costs (by utilizing digital images on CD instead of the more expensive films of the past), and shorter, more convenient exams—which means the hospital can now accommodate walk-in scoliosis patients.

Following the hospital’s first use of the equipment, Armstrong said, “I’m pleased to say that we have taken a major step forward—the procedure took only a matter of minutes, and we were quickly able to burn the exam onto a CD for the referring physician. In all, this is a much more efficient procedure for patients, radiologists and referring physicians.”

Nuclear Imaging Equipment

Twin Cities’ new BrightView nuclear imaging system – or gamma camera – from Philips Healthcare allows the hospital to perform a non-invasive, highly advanced diagnostic imaging method called SPECT – Single

Photon Emission Computed Tomography – to reveal how a part of the body is functioning at the metabolic level.

An important diagnostic technology for lung, breast, liver, and other types of cancer as well as for other common applications such as cardiac, bone, pulmonary, brain, thyroid, and renal imaging, the BrightView system generates: 3D images (instead of the previous system’s 2D images); concurrent imaging, which allows clinicians to obtain multiple images, and additional diagnostic information, without extending imaging time; and higher resolution images for uniformly outstanding image quality.

“The new equipment will provide state of the art Nuclear Medicine imaging capabilities to our patients,” says Armstrong. “Not only will we see marked improvement in image quality, but we will also see much faster procedure times. These improvements translate to a higher level of diagnostic confidence; improved patient satisfaction; and advancements in imaging for our orthopedic, cardiac, and oncology patients.”

Referring physicians can direct scoliosis patients to the Twin Cities Community Hospital Radiology Department for scheduled or walk-in appointments to get the new, digital scoliosis exam. Nuclear Medicine imaging procedures can be scheduled by contacting (805)434-4399. For more information about the imaging systems or Twin Cities Community Hospital, please visit www.twincitieshospital.com or call Press Agency AR & Co. PR and Marketing at (805) 239-4443 or email pr@arandcompany.com.