3D X-ray Orthopedic Imaging System EOS Better Image Quality That CR

Main Category: MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Also Included In: Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 02 Dec 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Biospace med announced today that data from a clinical study of its FDA-cleared 'EOS' 3D x-ray orthopedic imaging system conducted by a Montreal-based hospital-"EOS: A New Breed of X-Ray Imager Using Low-Dose Slot-Scanning to Achieve High-Quality Images"-showed that the EOS ultra-low-dose orthopedic imaging system makes possible "better image quality" than CR (Computed Radiography) imaging while using nearly 10 times less radiation."

EOS is designed to capture head-to-toe images of patients in a standing, weight-bearing position while reducing up to 90% of the radiation dose compared to a conventional x-ray and up to 1000 times less radiation than a conventional CT scan. Additionally, EOS 3D reconstructions provide remarkable detail, enabling physicians to better diagnose and plan an effective course of treatment.

"While our study involved 50 children and adolescents ranging in age from 11 to 19, EOS can be utilized for patients of all ages," said Sylvain Deschênes, Ph.D., a medical physicist at Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Center, Montreal, and a principal investigator for the study. "Because EOS provides high-quality images for clinical diagnosis while using considerably less radiation than a conventional x-ray or CT scan, it represents a significant advancement in medical-imaging technology, especially for children with pediatric scoliosis - a condition involving a curvature of the spine that usually requires repeated x-ray exams during the course of their clinical follow-up."

"It is well-established that the amount of radiation patients are receiving from medical x-rays is increasing significantly, and unfortunately, this includes children," added Biospace med CEO, Marie Meynadier, Ph.D. "Published data show an increased cancer risk*, especially among young females who may have a regular need for conventional x-ray monitoring. This is most unacceptable," said Dr. Meynadier, "because it does not have to be this way. A different approach needs to be taken, especially with children.

"A dose of common sense demands that we do all we can to reduce radiation, and we are extremely proud that EOS is playing a leading role in making this happen," added Dr. Meynadier. "Indeed, the recent clearance of EOS in the U.S. and Europe is one of the most significant advances that has taken place in support of the Image Gently initiative of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, whose goal is to change the practice of imaging by increasing awareness of the opportunities to lower radiation dosage in the imaging of children."

About the EOS Ultra-Low-Dose 3D Orthopedic Imaging System

Recently cleared by the FDA, EOS acquires two simultaneous low-dose planar AP/PA and LAT images, which can be as large as full body. The associated sterEOS workstation allows a review of the images, the production of clinical parameters, and the reconstruction of a 3D image of the adult spine. The company has also developed additional software** to address pediatric spine and a lower extremity package for hip and knee assessment. The workstation software is designed to enable measurements within 3D space, which eliminates errors made from projected planar x-ray images.

About the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging

The Alliance is a consortium of professional societies who are concerned about the radiation exposure that children receive when undergoing medical imaging procedures. Currently, 13 societies representing the fields of radiology, pediatrics, medical physics and radiation safety are involved. The Alliance recognizes the often life-saving value of medical imaging. However, techniques used in pediatric imaging may not be tailored to children's smaller bodies, resulting in radiation exposures that are greater than necessary. This is especially true for CT scans.

About Biospace med

Biospace med was founded on a unique partnership between Nobel Prize-winning physicist Georges Charpak and a team of biomedical engineers, orthopedic surgeons and radiologists who have developed a complete orthopedic imaging solution. The Company's lead product, EOS ultra-low-dose 2D/3D x-ray imager, allows full-body imaging of patients in a weight-bearing position that enables global assessment of balance and posture. The Company has corporate headquarters in Atlanta and Paris, an office in Montreal, and is targeting a $2 billion orthopedic imaging marketplace. Learn more at www.biospacemed.com.

* Breast cancer mortality after diagnostic radiography: findings from the U.S. Scoliosis Cohort Study. Morin Doody M, Lonstein JE, Stovall M, Hacker DG, Luckyanov N, Land CE. Spine, 2000 Aug 15;25(16):2052-63. (A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 5573 female patients with scoliosis who were referred for treatment at 14 orthopedic medical centers in the United States. Patients were less than 20 years of age at diagnosis. These data showed that exposure to multiple diagnostic radiographic examinations during childhood and adolescence resulted in a 69% increase in the likelihood of death from breast cancer.)

** sterEOS 3D is currently commercially available in Europe and Canada for spine and is cleared in the US for patients over 16 years of age.

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