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TOP > Case Study > Kanazawa University Hospital |
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Background |
Please tell us about the current FPD mammography
system.
Dr. Kawashima (MED) With early FPD digital images, contrast of the mammary gland was painfully low and lesions were not enhanced adequately enough for them to be viewed clearly. The monitor manufacturer made numerous improvements, and now, we are satisfied with the image quality. Please
tell us how you have decided to deploy the super-high resolution digital
mammography workstation into your facility. Was there any concern in introducing the ISD technology since
it was the world's first technology of its kind? |
Change
from 5MP to 15MsP |
You have installed the 15MsP super-high
resolution mammography workstation from Climb Medical Systems Inc., and it
was integrated with your current image management system from a different
manufacturer. Please tell us about the current conditions.
Mr. Yamamoto We completed the digitalization of our department after the construction of our new central building. Subsequently, we deployed a filmless environment quickly and efficiently with help from other departments. Overall, it was a positive change that we executed fairly flawlessly. Softcopy diagnostics has introduced substantial improvements to our hospital as we predicted. Most of the old devices for film diagnosis environment have been removed, and now, we have enough space to work comfortably. We really don’t want to go back to the old environment. Was there any concern with deploying the super-high resolution
mammography workstation? Dr. Kawashima Please tell us about your current mammography system using the 15MsP display. Mr. Yamamoto |
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Advantages
of super high-resolution display
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| This 15MsP display equipped with
the ISD technology achieves three-times the resolution of today’s most
powerful display. Please share with us what you saw and experienced with the 15MsP Dr. Kawashima Although I didn’t see significant difference between the 15MsP and the conventional 5M displays as the resolution difference between respective displays represents, the image quality was dramatically improved with the 15MsP. I believe the 15MsP display will make it easier to find micro-calcifications without panning and zooming. This is a value to me since it saves time. It is my professional opinion that there is still a significant difference between the 15MsP and 5M displays because the 15MsP display has the advantage of fully utilizing information included in the digital image that the 5MP display does not. |
Advantages
of super high-resolution display
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The
special AR coating of the 15MsP display offers improved properties
of noise,
focus, and contrast, achieving film-like black.
Dr. Kawashima It has taken a very long time for digital imaging to catch up with the quality of film. Totoku’s ISD technology has brought us that much closer for confident softcopy reads. As previously mentioned, image quality can reach optimal levels when not only the display, but also the entire PACS system is also upgraded. Mr. Yamamoto I agree Dr. Kawashima. In addition to the overall efficiency that digitalization brought us, the image quality is now nearly comparable to film. Thank you very much. We, as a manufacturer, are very glad
to hear that. Considering the increase in image data, what is your opinion
about the display speed of the 15MsP display? |
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| Advantages
of super high-resolution displays " Panning and zooming to find micro-calcifications can be intense and stressful. Totoku’s 15MsP display alleviates that stress. ” |
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How exactly
are you interpreting the image? Dr. Kawashima Basically, I use two displays, dividing the two screens lengthwise to display four images. When I first open an image, I prefer to display it a bit smaller than fit-screen. Prior to having the 15MsP, I had to display the image at the same pixel size to detect small micro calcifications. Now with my new 15MsP, most of the micro-calcifications can be detected on the initial screen. Furthermore, in instances where the modality captured a poor images, we can still detect the micro-calcifications without zooming. General
speaking, would you say that our 15MsP system has exceeded your expectations? Do you use the Zoom function at all with the 15MsP? You mean that you display MLO/CC images on divided four screens
using two displays, and then use the pan function to look at
the image displayed on the divided screen. We think that it is perfect
for the 15MsP display because it has less image degradation. |
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| Future
issues " It is important to pursue the further improvement and introduce the new technology. I hope manufacturers can work more closely in a standardized way." |
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Dr.
Kawashima As I said before, at first, we were unable to obtain the high quality image when we just introduced FPD. However, as we work with the manufacturer, improvements have been made. Of course, we believe there is always room for improvement. It is important to continue development of new technology. Mr. Yamamoto Digitalization has been deployed in most of the major facilities with success. Seamless integration among hardware and software systems is critical for that success. It is my hope that manufacturers work together to remove the barriers and strive for standardization. Thank you very much for your time. |
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| Kanazawa
University Hospital The central hospital of Hokuriku Medical District has 150 years of history and tradition that started when the Kaga Domain established the Vaccination Center in Kanazawa Hidoso in 1862. It’s based on a basic philosophy of fostering medical care for people with a rich sense of humanity as well as providing the finest medical care. 1,485 staff members (71 teachers of graduate school of medicine doubling as university hospital and others) 385 doctors, 173 medical engineers, 775 nurses, 136 administrative staff, 832 beds, 31 diagnostic and treatment departments |
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