Archives for 2013

Ortonville Area Health Services continuously utilizes technology and other methods to improve patient safety and our newest effort involved upgrading our CT equipment to a 64-slice CT with AIDR 3D.

Aquilion CT with AIDR 3D
This CT system provides some of the most detailed images available and they are also designed to keep you safe by reducing radiation.
An industry leader in developing new technologies designed to limit radiation exposure, Toshiba’s CT
systems utilize the newest dose management technology – Adaptive Interactive Dose Reduction 3D (AIDR 3D). This personalized software automatically adjusts the level of radiation exposure to correspond with you and your procedure to provide your physician with quality
diagnostic images.
Knowing the considerations and benefits of CT can help you understand and better protect you and your family’s health.

Facts You Should Know
CT imaging is one of the fastest ways physicians can accurately diagnose a patient’s condition. The decision to undergo a CT imaging exam should be made by you and your physician together. CT imaging uses an x-ray to create detailed 3D or 4D images of organs, soft tissue, bones and anatomy. It is used often for a variety of reasons including to evaluate joints, trauma, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, blocked arteries or chest pain. The benefits of being imaged with CT are that it is minimally invasive and fast. While CT imaging can be very beneficial, it does use some radiation.

Is a CT Exam Right for You
We encourage patients to seek advice from their physician when undergoing a CT exam. To determine if a CT exam is right for you, ask your physician about the benefits and considerations of your specific exam. The benefits should outweigh the concerns.
One way to think about CT radiation dose is like taking a prescription medication. When your doctor prescribes a medication, he or she recommends the optimum dose to keep you safe and help you get well. CT scans work the same way. AIDR 3D can help medical professionals personalize your imaging exam by scanning you at the lowest possible dose to achieve the best possible images.

What is AIDR 3D
AIDR 3D is the latest generation of software developed by Toshiba that processes a scanned image by putting it through a series of cycles or iterations while reducing the initial amount of radiation exposure needed to achieve a clear image.
Fully integrated with the CT System, AIDR 3D is automatically activated with every scan. AIDR 3D also adapts to customize exposure for every patient and every procedure based on your body. The system uses information about your body size and shape to adjust the amount of radiation to be used for the type of CT exam you are receiving. All of this enables the technologist operating the system to focus on obtaining the high quality images your physician needs to accurately diagnose you.