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CMMC Unveils O-ARM® Imaging System for Surgeons

The Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) in Jackson flipped the calendar year to 2009 with a new high-tech amenity: It's the first hospital in the state to unveil the revolutionary intra-operative O-ARM® Multidimensional Imaging System for the treatment of spinal disorders.

The O-ARM® System produces the high-resolution imaging needed to achieve minimally invasive procedures and consistently improve patient outcomes. It accomplishes this mission by combining the best features of a traditional c-arm with an intra-operative 3-D scanner. It provides surgeons with real-time, 3-D images, and also multi-plane, 2-D and fluoroscopic imaging.

Made by Medtronic Navigation – the world's largest producer of image-guided surgery systems, accessories and software applications for the cranial, spine, ENT and orthopedic markets – the O-ARM® Imaging System features a surgical imaging platform that is optimized for use in spine and orthopedic surgery.

Using these images, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons at the 429-bed healthcare facility–the largest hospital in the Health Management Associates, Inc. system—may view the patient anatomy in the operative position, monitor the status of the surgery, and verify the surgical changes with a 3-D volumetric image—all before the patient leaves the surgical suite. As a result, patients undergoing spinal procedures may experience less invasive surgeries, faster recovery times, and better outcomes.

"Time is critical in the operating room," said neurosurgeon Winston Capel, MD, a Chicago Medical School graduate who interned at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and worked for the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore before joining CMMC. "The O-ARM® offers multidimensional images in about 30 seconds, and provides surgeons with real time 2-D and 3-D imaging not offered by other available technologies."

The O-ARM® Imaging System, with a patented "O"-shaped breakable telescoping gantry that enables lateral patient access, uses a flat-screen detector that enables it to collect 2-D fluoroscopy or 3-D volumetric imaging almost instantly. It is designed specifically for use by surgeons in standard operating rooms while producing high-quality imaging comparable to O-ARM® fixed CT systems.

Electromechanical features on the O-ARM® System enable repeatable, robotic positioning of the gantry, with automatic return to preset positions between imaging shots and an unobtrusive location to permit unrestricted patient access. It also allows for reduced radiation exposure. The digital flat panel detector provides superior image quality and a sizable field of view, while the seamless navigation interface features automatic registration and image transfer.

Also, sterility is improved over conventional c-arms because the O-ARM® System does not travel through the sterile field, and because of the easy use of a one-time custom drape. All moving parts are enclosed in the gantry.

The O-ARM® System operates in three modes to accommodate a variety of procedures: 2-D fluoroscopy provides larger, higher resolution imaging and image displays than the conventional c-arm, and also larger anatomical views than conventional image viewers; multi-plane 2-D robotics enable the surgeon to program five views into memory, including a "park" position that allows the system to stay in the surgical field while maintaining unobstructed access; and 3-D volumetric imaging allows axial, coronal, and sagittal images to be created in the operative position.

The O-ARM® System has two 3-D modes: standard and high definition 3-D (HD3D).

In the standard mode, it takes approximately 30 seconds to complete a standard 3-D spin, taking nearly 400 images and then reconstructing and projecting this data on the 30-inch flat panel monitor. This mode allows surgeons to secure a post-operative 3-D scan before finishing the procedure.

In the HD3D mode, high-resolution images are provided for increased visibility, with the option to produce 750 images over 360 degrees in 25 seconds. When the images are captured, the O-ARM System can reconstruct and project the data in less than 25 seconds.

Tags:

Central Mississippi Medical Center, Health Management Associates, HMA, Medtronic Navigation, O-ARM® Multidimensional Imaging System, Winston Capel

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