Also known as Tomosynthesis-Shimadzu Metal Artifact Reduction Technology, the technique made its US debut at The Association for Medical Imaging Management’s annual meeting held recently in Las Vegas.
T-smart is a method of image reconstruction designed for imaging metal implants such as artificial joints. It uses a tomographic image reconstruction algorithm combining iterative reconstruction approximation and a metal- isolating algorithm that further reduces the few metal artifacts that remain with tomosynthesis.
Artifacts are reduced to the degree that they are barely noticeable, a factor that is particularly relevant in total hip arthroplasty where reducing the presence of artifacts allows clearer depiction of trabecula inside the bone at points of contact with the artificial joint. For artificial joints and other treatments that use metal implants, how the contact surface between a metal implant and human tissues such as bone changes over time is an important element in diagnosis.
The T-smart option would be integrated into the dedicated image processing workstation for the SONIALVISION Safire and G4 series of multipurpose radiography/fluoroscopy digital radiography systems. This workstation performs the image processing functions that generate reconstructed images from radiographic images taken by the system. Its tomosynthesis capabilities produce images with high spatial resolution and results in exposure doses lower than similar images obtained using CT.
Shimadzu dealers throughout the United States and in the Caribbean are now accepting orders for the T-smart software upgrade.
For more information, visit Shimadzu.
