Grapefruit USA Inc (GPFT)

[goldcoastoh]

frank and others my thoughts on bariatric patients...

i am actually going to use this reference in one of my presentations next week...

http://radiology.rsna.org/content/252/1/128.abstract

but with respect to imaging via CT or MR...

currently, open MRs exist as does "open" bore MRI... open MRs don't have the circular ring/bore and are typically low-field strength (something around 1.0 or less Telsa, but typically anything at or less than 1.5 T is considered low field)...although some manufacturer (i forget is bringing out a high-field open)... "Open" bore MRs are just larger bores...for these, seimen's accomodates up to 450 lbs. apparently.

i prefer closed MRs or "open" bore MRs, in my opinion, unless your claustrophobic and don't want to be knocked out for the exam.

regarding CTs and for that matter the DViS...i was impressed with the perspective offered by the latest picture on the website... what impressed me was the open-ness of the DViS gantry...

nevertheless, i would be cautious to think that the CT aspect of the DViS would image a bariatric patient sufficiently...but, i dunno...

generally speaking: c-arm fluoroscopic x-ray tubes are designed for low "power" (a good choice of word, i use it to describe it to laypeople) over long time, relatively speaking. it's the nature of the business... however, they can put out up to ~300 milliamperage (mA, or a component of your "power"), used for what are called spot films, however, most mobile units don't have the spot film feature.

that means that you still have the issue of being able to penetrate appropriately a bariatric patient...

c-arms units do have what is called "boost," which automatically doubles the mA with the touch of a button, but this is only practical for up to so big of a sized patient...

going back to diagnostic stuff, a lot of times, you'll see radiology reports state that because of body habitus, the image is unconclusive or something like that...

now, a last point in my not very organized post, because the DViS has the CT feature... the tube is probably, "'better' than your average c-arm tube."

just random thoughts, gotta run...