In an independent study presented during the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in October 2012, GE Healthcare’s OEC Elite 9900 mobile C-arm was rated the best in image quality and dose management.
The study, presented by Mark L. Prasarn, MD, aimed to rate fluoroscopic image intensifier mobile C-arms on various factors. The researchers found the OEC C-arm delivered the best image quality at the least dose when compared against three other major manufacturer’s models. GE Healthcare Surgery OEC has more than 35,000 OEC C-arms installed worldwide.
The study was conducted with four commonly used mobile fluoroscopy machines. The images from all four C-arms were downloaded and entered into a randomizer program so they could be independently evaluated by a group of spine surgeons and neuroradiologists. The brand identity from which the image came was anonymized to the reviewers. They were then asked to rank the images from best to worst on image quality. The radiation exposure level for the fluoroscopy units was also compared by analyzing the measured Kv and mA from each unit under like settings.
The results showed that the GE OEC was ranked overall best. When comparing the energy emission, it was also observed that the GE OEC C-arm emitted the lowest dose energy levels.
