Lodox Systems, a developer of digital X-ray imaging systems aimed specifically at the needs of emergency medical centres chose the technologically advanced 32-bit, open automation scada software from local developers Adroit Technologies. Lodox's pioneering Statscan low radiation, critical imaging system can complete a full body scan in 13 seconds - revolutionising the way that X-rays are taken and making medical headlines around the globe.
R. Adams Cowley first coined the phrase 'golden hour' to describe the critical importance of early care for shock trauma patients. What he said was that shock was the uncoupling of body functions, ie, the process of people dying. If the cycle could be broken within the first hour then the patient would have a good chance of surviving.
Traditionally X-rays have been plagued by the limitations of time and scope. Take for example, a trauma patient who enters a hospital and is unable to speak due to his injuries. In a typical situation, the patient would be sent for X-rays to determine if there is internal damage. As the patient cannot speak, the technicians and doctors will have to guess as to what part or parts of the body need to be scanned as a traditional X-ray machine can only produce a 355 x 432 mm picture. One or more images would need to be taken, and then developed. Once the X-rays are developed, the doctor would need to review them to establish if he has the pictures he needs. If he does not, or if they need to be adjusted, the whole process starts again and as much as 40 minutes of the golden hour can be wasted in the process - a potentially life-threatening situation for the patient.
Lodox's new Statscan system is revolutionary in that it eliminates the dilemma of time and scope. "The Statscan is like an X-ray photocopier," says Rodney Sandwith, control systems engineer for Lodox, "it scans the entire body in 13 seconds and produces a complete full body digital picture in under 1 minute. The doctor can then scroll and pan through the picture on a diagnostic screen using a mouse to detect all injuries in unconscious patients including those that might have been missed." The image can be manipulated in realtime eliminating the need for further exposures.
The Adroit scada is used as the User Interface (UI) between this special X-ray machine and its operator. "We needed an interface that was intuitive and easy to understand. Many of the staff who operate the machine, like nurses and radiographers, are not familiar with complicated IT systems," says Sandwith. "I have used Adroit in the instrumentation and control industry for many years, and am familiar with its flexibility which suited our fast-track development cycle. We liked the fact that Adroit is locally developed, as is our own technology. The ability to contact the Adroit developers with our own special requirements was important and they have even incorporated some of our needs into their new Version 5.0, which we use with the Statscan."
Herman Potgieter originally invented the machine in the late 1980s for South African mine owners trying to fight widespread diamond theft by their workers. He developed the system as a safe, fast way to search workers finishing their shifts for hidden or swallowed diamonds.
The Statscan accommodates the entire control system and the Siemens PLC inside its support housing. The PLC uses sequences to control the servomotors, safety interlocks and X-ray generator. The Adroit scada is housed in a separate operator console and communicates with the PLC via a Profibus link.
An additional benefit to operators is that the Statscan emits almost no harmful radiation outside the target area, thereby reducing the risk for the staff and personnel as well as for the patient. The low dose radiation technology also makes the machine safe for use on paediatric and bariatric patients, as well as on pregnant women, all of whom doctors were reluctant to X-ray in the past due to the side-effects of radiation exposure.
The Adroit scada runs on Windows 2000 on a dual Xeon PC together with proprietary image processing software. The processed image is viewed by the doctor on a high quality black and white diagnostic screen. Scrolling and panning through the 1800 x 680 mm image is performed in realtime, including the control of grey scale, contrast and brightness. The powerful Scripting and DB Access features of Adroit were used to maintain a detailed X-ray log as well as a procedure and costing database.
Due to the interlocking and safety requirements, most of the control is performed by the PLC with Adroit scada performing some of the high-level control of the chosen procedures such as the voltage (kV) and current (mA) of the HT supply, and the exposure times. A development machine is stationed at UCT; while its successors grace the likes of Groote Schuur Hospital and Milpark locally. Lodox is geared to produce one or two Statscan machines per month for its primary market in the United States.
Coincidentally, Lodox have just installed a Statscan at the University of Maryland Shock and Trauma Centre, named after R. Adams Cowley, a heart surgeon and trauma expert, who coined the term 'golden hour' and developed the emergency medical response system in Maryland, which is a model for trauma systems around the world.
For more information contact Adroit Technologies, 011 781 3513, [email protected], www.adroit.co.za
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