AGFA GEVAERT : Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust acquires Agfa HealthCare digital radiography systems with MUSICA image quality

- User-friendly, single-plate CR 30-X is designed for diagnostic imaging facilities of all sizes. - DX-G digitizer unites excellent image quality with a drop-and-go buffer-based workflow, and when the needle-based detector option is used, provides for dose reduction potential. - The MUSICA image processing-enabled workstations offer very fast image acquisition and a smooth workflow.

Agfa HealthCare announces today that the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust's main hospital - North Devon District Hospital - as well as eight of its community hospitals have replaced their existing digital radiography systems, with Agfa HealthCare CR 30-X and DX-G CR solutions, including MUSICA image processing-enabled workstations and image processing.

Solutions for district and community-level facilities
The Trust operates across 1,300 square miles. North Devon District Hospital is its main site. It also has a network of 17 community hospitals and nine integrated health and social care community clusters.

North Devon District Hospital has acquired CR 30-X tabletop CR solutions as well as three DX-G state-of-the-art CR systems. Eight community hospitals have each acquired a CR 30-X: Axminster Hospital, Ottery St Mary Hospital, Honiton Hospital, Sidmouth Hospital, Exmouth Hospital, Okehampton Hospital, Tyrrell Hospital in Ilfracombe and Bideford Hospital.

The Agfa HealthCare systems - which are being implemented as part of a national contract - are being used for general imaging as well as in the emergency and urgent care services (A&E) department. They have speeded up image processing, provided excellent image quality and when the DX-G CR solution is used with needle-based detectors, has helped technicians manage patient radiation dose.

The high image quality, high-throughput CR 30-X is a versatile, tabletop CR solution ideal for facilities of any size. The DX-G offers state-of-the-art image quality, with potential dose reduction when the needle-based detector option is used. Its five-cassette drop-and-go buffer can handle a mix of different sizes of both needle-based detectors and standard phosphor plates.

Ease of use and consistent, high image quality
The solutions come with the easy to use workstation equipped with MUSICA image processing software. With an intuitive user interface, it requires minimal training, while offering maximum convenience and enabling very fast image acquisition and a smooth workflow. In addition, Agfa HealthCare's gold standard, exam-independent MUSICA image processing software provides consistently high image quality.

"To meet the imaging challenges facing hospitals today, we need digital radiography solutions that are easy to use but offer high image quality, and that support us in our efforts to manage patient X-ray dose," comments Jane Martin, Principal Radiographer for North Devon District Hospital. "Agfa HealthCare has helped us fulfill those requirements, for both our district and community hospital levels."

"We are very pleased to continue building our relationship and presence amongst the hospitals of the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust," says Grant Witheridge, General Manager of Agfa HealthCare UK. "Our comprehensive portfolio of imaging solutions has been developed to meet the needs of hospitals of all sizes and imaging volumes."