Mobile X-ray Leaps into the Future with New Innovations from Konica Minolta Healthcare

WAYNE, N.J., July 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. announced today that the company’s revolutionary Dynamic Digital Radiography (DDR) technology, enabling the visualization of anatomy in motion, will be available on the mKDR Xpress™ Mobile X-ray System.1 The mobile system will also be compatible with the newest technology in wireless flat panel X-ray detectors, the AeroDR® Glassless High Definition Detector. Both solutions enable clinicians to realize greater potential with X-ray, the most widely available diagnostic imaging modality and often the first imaging test a patient receives. These new advancements in X-ray technology are being introduced at the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) 2022 Annual Meeting in Phoenix at Konica Minolta’s booth.

DDR is the next evolution in X-ray, enhancing diagnosis and management of pulmonary diseases and orthopedic conditions. DDR enables clinicians to visualize the dynamic interaction of anatomical structures, such as tissue and bone, with physiological changes over time. DDR is not fluoroscopy; it is a series of individual digital images acquired at high speed and low dose. In the same study, clinicians can acquire static and dynamic images. The resulting cine loop delivers up to 40 seconds of anatomy in motion in a diagnostic-quality view with a simple acquisition performed on a conventional DR system. DDR has been adopted by academic and community hospitals, orthopedic and spine clinics, and pulmonary centers across the US.

“Pairing DDR with the high-performance mKDR Xpress enables clinicians to elevate patient care with mobile X-ray at the point of care in a hospital,” says Guillermo Sander, PhD, Marketing Director for Digital Radiography, Konica Minolta Healthcare. “Whether it is used to visualize anatomy in motion or observe physiological cycles, DDR adds significant clinical value with an exam that is fast and versatile at a low radiation dose. It is the only technology of its kind available today and in portable imaging, X-ray in motion is only possible on the mKDR Xpress.”

The mKDR Xpress delivers exceptional imaging performance in a small footprint at the bedside or in the ER, OR, CCU or ICU. With a slim design and collapsible column to facilitate its use in tight spaces, the mKDR Xpress can be more easily moved wherever it’s needed. On-board charging for two detectors and front and back storage for detectors and accessories help technologists meet the most demanding mobile X-ray imaging needs. An industry-unique, tube-mounted graphical user interface and image preview function help ensure clear images are visible quickly, improving efficiency when time matters.

Lightweight and durable with enhanced sensitivity and resolution, the AeroDR Glassless Flat Panel Detector is the ideal wireless panel for mobile X-ray, as well as other applications. A glassless substrate replaces the glass-based substrate in the design for a detector that weighs 27% less than prior generation AeroDR Flat Panel Detectors – only 4.2 lbs. with the built-in power cell. AeroDR Glassless Flat Panel Detectors deliver the same robust imaging and reliability as other models of AeroDR Flat Panel Detectors with an excellent drop impact resistance, an antibacterial carbon enclosure and eight hours of use after a 30-minute charge.

With a high detective quantum efficiency (DQE) and the world’s smallest pixel size of 100µm, the AeroDR Glassless Flat Panel Detector delivers the resolution and image sharpness clinicians need to confidently evaluate the patient’s anatomy, even the finest and smallest structures. Intelligent Grid for grid-less imaging and tube and gauze image enhancement with REALISM make it ideal for use in surgical imaging applications.

“Konica Minolta is imagining more possibilities with DR and mobile X-ray to help clinicians meet their most demanding imaging needs, providing solutions that redefine what radiography can do,” adds Sander. “We envision a world where advanced X-ray capabilities provide the immediacy of information that clinicians need, at a lower cost than other imaging systems, so they can make better decisions, sooner.”

1 Dynamic Digital Radiography on the mKDR Xpress Mobile X-ray System is pending US FDA 510(k) clearance.