Imaging/Diagnostic Services

Sleep disorders testing uses polysomnography (PSG) — a comprehensive recording of the biophysiological changes that occur during sleep. PSG monitors many body functions, including brain activity (electroencephalography), eye movements (electrooculography), muscle activity or skeletal muscle activation (electromyography), and heart rhythm (echocardiography). Sleep studies are usually performed at night, when most people sleep, although some people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders may be tested at other times of day. A polysomnogram records a minimum of 12 channels requiring at least 22 wire attachments to the patient, which converge into a central unit connected to a computer system for displaying, recording, and storing the data. The channels vary depending on the physician’s request. During sleep, multiple channels can be displayed continuously and a small infrared video camera can be positioned in the room so that the technician can observe the patient on a monitor from an adjacent control room.

This article is an update of a previous post.

The ability to record diagnostic images digitally and upload them to a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) has largely been a radiology-oriented system since the technology was formally introduced in the early 1980s. Enterprise imaging is the next evolutionary step in image storage and management. It will take the responsibility for imaging management away from radiology and place it in the hands of the enterprise-wide information technology function. The path to enterprise archiving of images is being paved by vendor-neutral archives (VNAs) that enable easier integration of data from disparate systems throughout the hospital — such as radiology, cardiology, pathology, orthopedics, and obstetrics — and make these data available in one place via the electronic health record. This evolution will have the capability to store and exchange clinical content in DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) and non-DICOM formats. As a result, all clinical data will be available, easily accessible, and useable and not contained in departmental silos but on a monitor from an adjacent control room.

This article is an update of a previous post.

Pulmonary function testing measures the function of lung capacity and lung and chest wall mechanics to determine whether or not the patient has a lung problem. Pulmonary function testing is commonly referred to as “PFT” and such tests are usually performed by Certified or Registered Pulmonary Function Technologists (CPFT or RPFT) who are credentialed by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). When a patient is referred for pulmonary function testing, it means that a battery of tests may be carried-out including simple screening spirometry, static lung volume measurement, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, airways resistance, respiratory muscle strength, and arterial blood gases. Spirometry is the standard method for measuring most relative lung volumes; however, it is not capable of providing information about absolute volumes of air in the lung. Thus a different approach is required to measure residual volume, functional residual capacity, and total lung capacity. Two of the most common methods of obtaining information about these volumes are gas dilution tests and body plethysmography.

Body plethysmography is a very sensitive lung measurement used to detect lung pathology that might be missed with conventional pulmonary function tests. This method of obtaining the absolute volume of air within one’s lungs may also be used in situations where several repeated trials are required or where the patient is unable to perform the multibreath tests. The technique requires moderately complex coaching and instruction for the patient.

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Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that used sound waves and a computer to create images of soft tissue structures such as muscles, blood vessels, and organs. It is used to diagnose a number of conditions that may not be adequately assessed with other imaging methods such as X-ray, CT, or MRI. GE Healthcare’s new compact Vivid™ ultrasound unit combines advanced imaging power in a rugged, portable, easily-cleanable, and light-weight (less than 10 pounds) unit that can be carried anywhere in the hospital or to an office-based physician practice. It is also capable of 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and intracardiac echo (ICE).

Source: GE Healthcare website [Retrieved online at www3.gehealthcare.com]

Imagine a computed tomography (CT) scanner that can be installed in a room as small as six by nine feet, weighs 450 pounds, and plugs into a standard electrical outlet. Well, for eye, ear, nose, and throat physicians it is possible to provide point-of-care CT imaging in a clinic or an operating room. The Xoran Technology’s MiniCAT™ is specially designed for head and neck imaging allowing physicians to diagnose and treat their patients faster and more conveniently. It creates high-resolution, ultra-thin CT slices (0.3 mm for temporal bones), making it ideal for scanning the sinuses, skull base, and temporal bones. The availability of a limited footprint, in-office, upright CT scanner enables point-of-care imaging without the problems associated with scheduling CT scans at the hospital’s central imaging department. A scan takes only 40 seconds to get an immediate, digitally versatile CT image on a Windows PC monitor.

The actual dimensions of the unit are 46” x 49” x 72” tall. Although it can be installed in a room as small as 6’ x 9’, a room that is 80 to 100 net square feet is recommended, or the equivalent of the size of a standard exam room. The MiniCAT scanner emits very low radiation so that it requires little or no shielding to comply with State regulations. The manufacturer can install it in a single day since its small footprint fits through a standard door frame and it weighs only 450 pounds. The MiniCAT is compatible with most image-guided surgery systems and can also be used for surgical planning and post-operative evaluations and care.