Why Digital X-ray Imaging ?
X-ray imaging (which includes CT-SCAN and fluoroscopy)
accounts for nearly 80% of all medical imaging. The advantages of capturing
and storing x-ray images digitally rather than on film are overwhelming.
Digital x-ray imaging has many advantages :
(a) The images can be stored in a very compact manner without risk of
loss or deterioration in quality.
(b) The images can be easily enlarged and "suspicious" areas
of an image can be more easily studied.
(c) The images can be easily retrieved, and can be transmitted electronically
to an expert or to another medical practitioner in the same hospital or
to an insurance company for reimbursement purposes.
(d) Over a period of time, pattern recognition software can be developed
to aid easy diagnosis.
(e) The expense of x-ray film and the chemicals used for development as
well as the environmental problems associated with the disposal of film
can be entirely avoided.
Problems
Associated With Digital X-ray Imaging
X-rays are a form of energy which do not fall within
the visible light spectrum, and must first be converted to light in order
to be recorded in either digital or analog form. X-rays used for medical
imaging are scattered in all directions at two distinct points of impact:
first, by the anatomical features being imaged, and then by a screen (the
scintillator) which converts the x-rays emerging fromr the body into light.
As at present, there is no known method to minimize the scattering of
x-rays by the anatomic features being imaged. However, x-ray scattering
at the second point of impact (i.e. at the scintillator) can be minimized
by collimating the emerging x-rays. An other problem in x-ray imaging
has been the efficient absorption and conversion of x-rays by the scintillator
before the x-rays hit the recording media which may be either film or
a CCD (Charge Couple Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
chip used for digital recording.
Solutions
Discovered And Implemented By NIC
NIC has successfully created a novel scintillator based on a micro-channel plate containing between 2-3 million channels per square inch. Each channel contains NIC's proprietary blend of highly efficient phosphors. This scintillator, the creation and design of which is protected by several patents, collimates impacting x-rays and also converts/absorbs them so that the highly sensitive CCD or CMOS is not damaged. A high resolution digital image is obtained by integrating the scintillator with the CCD or CMOS. NIC technology improves x-ray imaging by improving the high-resolution imaging efficiency. High-resolution efficiency is particularly important in the mammography and dental x-ray imaging markets. For a given x-ray exposure, NIC technology uncovers finer features and structures. NIC enabled x-ray systems extract more diagnostic information, leading to more accurate, cost effective, and potentially life-saving diagnosis. See digitaly recorded images below.
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A
comparison of CT-Scan of a mouse
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The blood vessels of a pig's lung show resolution of about 35 microns using a contrast agent for X-Ray enhanced images |
NIC's
First Digital X-ray Imaging Product
NIC's first commercial product is a scintillator to be used as a part
of a dental imaging sensor manufactured by other vendors. This product
has been tested by the leading manufacturers of dental imaging sensors
in Europe and Japan. They found that NIC's dental scintillator helps them
to achieve superior image resolution. It is anticipated that sales of
the scintillator to foreign manufacturers will commence in fall 2002.
NIC's First Comercial Product - Digital Dental Imaging Sensor
NIC is also working towards integrating its scintillator with CCD/CMOS to create a complete digital dental imaging sensor. This product will be ready for the market in the latter part of 2003. This unit can be used in conjunction with existing film imaging equipment already in place. Based upon current retail price of sensors sold by other manufacturers, it is anticipated that this unit will retail between $6000 to $7000. There are approximately 160,000 dentists in the United Sates and 700,000 dentists worldwide. About 8% of dentists in USA use a digital imaging system even though the saving of the dentist's time as well as the convenience of such a system is obvious. The reason is poor digital image quality. Dentists overseas have barely begun to use digital imaging systems in significant numbers. Endodontists in particular favor digital imaging because of their need for real time images.
NIC
selected the dental market for its initial medical market entry because
of:
(a) ease of FDA approval (150 days);
(b) no major manufacturer sells into this market (12 small players with
non-proprietary scintillators compete on price in a fragmented market
having less than 10% digital penetration);
(c) image quality of existing digital dental systems is still inferior
to film;
(d) NIC's images are superior by a factor of 100% in terms of resolution/contrast
and, importantly, reduced x-ray exposure (about 20% of film); and
(e) dental practices are entrepreneurial in nature and will be sensitive
to superior image quality, convenience of real time, digital storage and
transmission, avoiding development of film, savings in time;
Other
Digital X-ray Imaging Products
The basic technology platform created by NIC can be rapidly deployed to
create products for other medical imaging modalities such as:
Mammography : NIC's next area of concentration will be in mammography
imaging. This medical application is especially suited for NIC's high
resolution capabilities. It is also anticipated that NIC's end user cost
of a superior digital mammography sensor will be approximately one-third
of that of the competition.
Osteoporosis : The digital modality is also
well suited for the osteoporosis ( bone density mapping ) market.
Micro CT-SCAN. High resolution micro CT-SCAN equipment will be of great
help to take images of laboratory mice which are used for testing drugs
in development. At present, mice have to be killed and frozen sections
analyzed under a microscope to track the impact of the drug. The capability
to image cellular structures without killing the mouse will reduce the
time required for drug development by approximately 40%
Cardiac Imaging :The real-time high-resolution and high-contrast
x-ray images would help the cardiologists to perform catheterization and
in particular the manipulation of catheter and placement of stents. Next
generation cardiac imaging systems are expected to observe plaque formation.
Oncology Imaging : The high-contrast and
high-resolution should help us to locate the boundaries of cancer growth
for radiation therapy treatment.
These products will be introduced over the next five years.
NIC's
Long Term Vision: Digital Desktop Medical Imaging
NIC long term vision in the area of medical imaging is to create affordably
priced desktop digital x-ray imaging systems which depend on very low
x-ray dosage and hence can be placed in the average physician's office.
This revolution in medical imaging will greatly expand the worldwide market
for such products.
Industrial
Imaging
The technology platform developed by NIC for medical imaging can also
be used in various industrial imaging applications such as electronic
chip inspection, high sensitivity security imaging, fault inspection in
critical castings etc. As at present, NIC has no plan to address this
market in view of its initial concentration on the medical market. NIC
will nevertheless be alert to exploit licensing and/or strategic partnering
opportunities as they arise.
