Monthly Archives: June 2024

Image courtesy of Pop Design and Projects

Specialist fluoroscopy suite, incorporating new state-of-the-art Ultimax-i X-ray machine, reimagined to put paediatric patients at ease while delivering optimum diagnostic versatility and image quality at lower radiation dose

X-rays can be a daunting experience for patients, especially children. To help reduce ‘scanxiety’ – the increased level of anxiety patients may feel before, during, and after a scan – Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton, partnered with Canon Medical Systems UK to reimagine the whole X-ray experience. This included transforming the hospital’s fluoroscopy suite, via an extensive makeover, into a welcoming, comfortable, and even fun place for children while delivering the most advanced diagnostic imaging service via the new Ultimax-i X-ray system.

Managed by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and located within the grounds of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital serves the local population, as well as being a tertiary referral centre for children across the Southeast. To meet high demand, the hospital provides a 24-hour, year-round, fluoroscopy service for newborns through to 17-year-olds requiring specialist diagnostic scans.

Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital selected Canon Medical to create a visually alluring scanning environment to house the new Ultimax-i X-ray system. To appeal to children – many of whom have additional needs – the renovation included a floor-to-ceiling under-the-sea theme featuring sea creatures and a submarine, LED mood lighting to create a calming atmosphere, and a ceiling-mounted interactive projector featuring 50 different games and challenges for children to enjoy pre- and post-scan.

Offering diagnostic versatility, the Ultimax-i enables Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital to meet growing demand by enabling clinicians to see a broader age range of patients with a variety of conditions.

Firstly, by optimising workflow space, it allows for more complex scans and procedures to take place without additional reconfiguration of floor space. Secondly, an innovative multidirectional C-arm and an adjustable tilting table allow clinicians at the hospital superior ergonomic access to the patient’s anatomy. Meanwhile, light-beam diaphragm functionality ensures greater precision for centring and collimation.

By offering clinicians a more complete and accurate patient view, the Ultimax-i reduces the need for patient movement and multiple images to be taken during scans, improving overall operator workflow and efficiency and, most importantly, ensuring patient comfort and safety. The smoother the scanning process, the better the child’s experience, helping to reduce fear and anxiety during the scan.

In addition to unsurpassed image quality, the Ultimax-i includes DoseRite, a comprehensive dose management suite of technology to minimise patient X-ray exposure. Clinicians are empowered with three variable dose modes to choose from, ensuring precise control over radiation exposure. Patients experience a notable reduction in dose exposure, thanks to fewer repeat views required, enhancing safety and comfort throughout the imaging process. This is particularly important when scanning children, many of whom are regular visitors requiring multiple scans.

The Fluoroscopy Suite refurbishment was made possible by funding from My University Hospitals Sussex, the dedicated charity for NHS hospitals in Sussex. They raise funds for treatment, care and research which go over and above core NHS funding, making a positive difference to patients and staff.

Steve Crump OBE, Director of Charities & Voluntary Services at My University Hospitals Sussex said: “We’re incredibly proud to have funded this outstanding refurbishment at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. The state-of-the-art equipment, along with the vibrant ocean-themed design, will ensure children requiring fluoroscopy procedures receive the best service possible, as well as have a positive hospital experience. The charity is delighted to have enabled this improved pathway and quality of care for paediatric patients across the region.”

The new Ultimax-i system offers simplicity and, due to its versatility and superior image quality, enables the hospital to provide a wider range of services and keep up with the growing demand for diagnostics. Ongoing support from Canon Medical’s App Specialists also means that the hospital can adapt the functionality of the equipment in the future to enhance useability and unlock further capability as required.

Kyriakos Iliadis, Lead Consultant Paediatric Radiologist MD MSc at University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust, concluded, “The feedback has been immensely positive from everyone who has encountered the new system and the new fluoroscopy suite – from radiographers to consultants but, most importantly, patients. The combination of the new X-ray system in its under-the-sea setting provides the very best experience we could hope for. Often, the children are having so much fun, they do not want to leave!”.

Click here to read more in VISIONS UK Edition 9

Photo caption 1: An image of the new Ultimax-i X-ray system at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital

The Alphenix Sky+ will enable the hospital to deliver complex precision procedures by offering greater levels of accessibility to patient anatomy, superior image quality, and workflow optimisation   

To bring complex interventional procedures in-house and increase patient throughput, Forth Valley Royal Hospital has installed the Alphenix Sky+, making it the first hospital in Scotland to benefit from Canon Medical’s most advanced ceiling-mounted imaging system, placing it at the cutting edge of diagnostic innovation.

The Alphenix Sky+ offers clinicians superior imaging quality and the 220° rotation needed to carry out complex precision procedures such as prostate artery embolization (PAE) for prostate conditions. This will improve clinical workflow efficiencies by reducing the need for patient referral to alternative hospitals in Scotland, bringing healthcare closer to the community. In addition, patients with vascular and renal conditions, which previously required major surgery, can now undergo treatment through minimally invasive techniques. The Alphenix Sky+ also enables the hospital to carry out examinations of the uterus for women experiencing fertility issues and treat uterine fibroids, reducing the need for more invasive procedures or surgery.

Jennifer Gilchrist, Radiology Services Manager at NHS Forth Valley, commented, “Whilst our previous radiology imaging system served us well, technology has significantly advanced since its purchase 12 years ago. We needed new state-of-the-art equipment that would provide crystal clear, high-quality images to enable us to carry out a broader range of precision procedures in-house. As a hospital, we are keen to serve our patients as close to home as possible and are thrilled that we can now make this possible.”

Featuring a double C-arm feature with full rotation from either the right or left side of the table, the Alphenix Sky + can capture images of the patient’s body from all angles and enable lateral 3D acquisitions, creating a high-resolution 3D image from a 2D set of data. This is vital for complex procedures and images, including inserting small metal coils into veins or arteries to cut off the blood supply to cancerous tumors and placing stents, which can then be expanded to help clear blockages and maintain blood flow. Increased clinical confidence through 3D images leads to better patient outcomes.

Combined with an integrated workstation, the Alphenix Sky+ system significantly reduces restrictions on examinations and procedures, aiding greater operator workflow and increasing overall productivity. It also offers a lower radiation dose than alternative scanners, a key consideration in diagnostic imaging, especially for patients requiring multiple scans during treatment.
The addition of a unique SPOT Fluoro, which helps improve workflow and visibility of guide wires and catheters, also works to reduce dose per procedure. The radiation field can be seamlessly adjusted independently, ensuring that the minimum area needed to perform the procedure is exposed, without needing to adjust the patient or system position. Meanwhile, the use of the Dose Tracking System (DTS) within the Alphenix Sky+ scanner allows the clinician to monitor the patient’s skin dose in real-time, thus minimising the risk of radiation injury.

In addition to the Alphenix Sky+ system, Forth Valley Royal Hospital has also installed Canon Medical’s Ultimax-i X-ray machine to further build diagnostic capacity and resilience within the hospital. The new machine, housed in the fluoroscopy room, enables high-quality images and videos to be captured using contrast dye. This can be used to examine patients experiencing difficulty chewing and swallowing food, which can often happen after a stroke. It can also be used to assess joints to determine if a patient would benefit from a hip or knee replacement and help with the precise positioning of stents to treat patients with a range of cancers, including bowel, stomach, gallbladder, and liver, as well as supporting a wide range of investigations carried out by the Endoscopy Department.

Jennifer Gilchrist added, “Thanks to the new equipment, we now have the imaging precision needed for the services we want to provide. Resilience is another key consideration. Our old imaging fluoroscopy room wasn’t set up for interventional procedures, so being able to carry these out with the Ultimax-i, as a support to the Alphenix Sky+, is extremely exciting. Together the two systems offer a perfect solution as we know we’ll always have a backup machine in place and, better still, we can offer interventional procedures to more than one patient at a time.”

“Replacing and installing the new systems back-to-back enabled us to keep patient services running effectively during the transition, and Canon Medical ensured that the installation was completely seamless from start to finish. We could not have done this installation as successfully without the constant oversight from the experienced project manager and partners.”

“This is a long-term investment for the health board and hospital and, due to the relationship we have built, we know that if we require further assistance moving forward when it comes to upgrades, updates, and training, Canon Medical will be able to support us.”

Philip Willcock, XR/VL Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems, concludes, “We are pleased to have completed the first installation of the Alphenix Sky+ in Scotland, along with the Ultimax-i X-ray machine at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital. The installation of both systems offers the hospital the ability to deliver more complex interventional procedures in-house, whilst increasing patient throughput and comfort by offering superior access to patient anatomy. Being able to capture high-quality scans of the patient’s body from all angles is crucial to improving operator workflow and achieving increased productivity, clinical confidence, and better patient outcomes. We hope this is the first of many more installations in Scotland, and across the rest of the UK.”

Click here to read more in VISIONS UK Edition 9