Leeds Children’s Hospital installs multi-directional C-arm for precise paediatric examinations

The precision of paediatric fluoroscopy examinations at Leeds Children’s Hospital has been enhanced by the installation of a multidirectional C-arm from Canon Medical Systems. The Ultimax-i replaced an end-of-life system from a different vendor and has delivered upgraded and diverse functionality for a range of paediatric examinations.

Team manager for paediatric radiology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Emily Keyte commented: “The Ultimax-i is a valuable new addition to our range of diagnostic imaging tools serving patient referrals from across Yorkshire. It is predominantly used for paediatric fluoroscopy examinations, which include contrast swallows, micturating cystograms and non-GA paediatric interventional examinations.

“Its light beam diaphragm functionality is key for us, ensuring precision in centring and collimation for our paediatric patients. The new ability to do ‘fluoro loops’ allows us to review and store dynamic fluoroscopy sequences directly through PACS to support regional videofluoroscopy services.”

Virtual collimation on the Ultimax-i is said to provide optimum image quality and dose limitation. It comes as part of the DoseRite suite of dose management technologies designed to minimise patient x-ray exposure at the same time as maintaining optimum image quality.

The large flat panel detector generates four field-of-view levels, fine pixel pitch and high signal-to-noise ratio ensuring low dose patient coverage and high resolution imaging for improved visualisation.

Keyte continued: “In addition to refreshing our fluoroscopy and radiography capabilities with the Ultimax-i, Canon worked in partnership with our wider team on the room remodelling. This included the introduction of comforting sensory lights to provide a calm, ambient environment for the examination of patients of all ages. Furthermore, the training provided by Canon on the new system was great – it was easy to understand and it is an intuitive system to use.”

Picture: Paediatric consultant radiologist Dr Imran Kasli, team manager for paediatric radiology Emily Keyte, Canon Medical UK account manager, north east, Ruth Rowe, clinical applications specialist Dan Brearley with radiographers Sophie Hardy and Daisy Barker.

Published on page 4 of the December 2022 issue of RAD Magazine.