Wireless Connectivity

While mobile medical imaging systems represent one of the biggest advancements in terms of healthcare technology, they also have one significant failing in terms of their standard operation: they require wireless connectivity to operate to their fullest. A recent study from KLAS has described the problem and its solution in the simplest possible terms: those who sell mobile medical imaging systems need a serious upgrade in their wireless connection capabilities.

The KLAS report titled, “Mobile Digital X-Ray 2012: Moving In The Right Direction”, took on four different suppliers in the field including Fujifilm, GE, Canon (News - Alert), and Shimadzu and ranked them based on their levels of mobility, their wireless connectivity features, their overall level of image quality and the thing that powers the entire operation, battery life. Image quality was universally regarded as good among all four vendors, but everyone had issues related to both wireless connectivity and the transfer of images from the mobile system to a picture archiving and communications system (PACS).

Further improvements are coming in overall design, as the systems now emerging are “smaller and sleeker” than previously known. Improvements in overall systems are also driving demand, which makes the hardware prized by emergency rooms and operating theaters alike. However, the increasing demand also serves to underscore the need for improvements in capability and that's calling attention to the failings inherent in these systems.

Perhaps the best system in the lot was that of Fujifilm. The Fuji Go, known as the “oldest system” in the report listings, noticed the fewest overall problems and received a lot of praise for its ease of use and reliability. Yet, wireless connectivity remained a problem for not only the Fuji Go but for the rest of the systems covered in the survey. The overall winner in the survey was Shimadzu, who provided not only “stellar service and reliability”, but also what amounted to “...the go-to option in the mobile X-ray space”.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities need the best equipment they can get to provide the highest level of service for their customers. Patients need to be sure that they have the best of care available to them, and this has led to a lot of development on the part of mobile medical imaging equipment provision. While there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially in regards to the wireless connectivity segment of things, it's clear that mobile medical imaging is gaining ground and that's good for patients and hospitals alike.

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