A new, state-of-the-art, 3-D x-ray machine housed at the new Orthopaedic Clinic at Loma Linda University Medical Center is the first of its kind in the Los Angeles Basin. The EOS ultra low dose, 2-D, 3-D imager is the first full body, low-dose imaging system—a total solution for orthopaedic imaging. LLU Medical Center’s is only the third one on the West Coast.
“We are extremely thrilled to have this amazing technology available to our patients and medical staff,” says Gary Botimer, MD, chair of orthopaedics at LLU Medical Center. “The EOS x-ray machine allows our medical team to quickly get the most accurate, non-CT full body scan possible of the patient in just seconds, all at a highly reduced rate of radiation exposure.”
The EOS captures a whole or partial body image in a single scan without the need for stitching, all at an outstanding dose reduction. Research shows it delivers a radiation dose five to ten times lower than other conventional or digital x-ray equipment.
The system’s unique design allows physicians to not only image patients at an upright, weight-bearing position but to simultaneously capture a bi-plane image. A vertical drive mechanism moves a C-arm down the desired height of the patient or any desired subset of this length. The detector enables low dose image-capture, creating a whole body image within about 20 seconds for an adult and about half as long for pediatric patients. Digital images are immediately available on the 2-D workstation. The images are contiguous, uninterrupted, and require no stitching, which saves time while improving image accuracy for diagnosis and treatment planning.
A 3-D workstation is also available, designed to generate a 3-D skeletal image from the two planar images without any additional patient radiation exposure. The 3-D model is unique because it is weight-bearing, something currently unavailable even with CT.
“Seeing a scan of a patient in 3-D allows us such a greater opportunity to evaluate and treat our patients,” says Dr. Botimer. “It gives you so much more information than the more traditional x-rays.”
The ultra low dose EOS exams may be especially useful for patients with spinal disorders such as scoliosis—a spinal deformity condition affecting more than 900,000 people in the United States alone—as well as deformities of the upper or lower extremities.
The EOS machine is located at the new Orthopaedic Clinic at LLU Medical Center–East Campus at Professional Plaza, 25455 Barton Road, Suite 102B in Loma Linda.
To schedule an appointment at the new clinic, call (909) 558-2808.