solutions applied | a case study
Specialized Imaging Center Selects
Customized Sony Printing Solution
VyMed Diagnostic Imaging Center radiologists work hard
to cater to referring physicians’ needs. That’s why this sixmonth-old, growing PET/CT center was pleased to find a
printing solution that worked just as hard.
At VyMed, the Sony UP-D77MD color dye sublimation
printer, together with the FilmStation dry film imager, creates
a specialized and cost effective printing system.
“In our effort to become the first dedicated PET/CT center
in the Salisbury area, we wanted to build a strong referral
base as soon as possible and also maintain state-of-the-art
communications with our clinicians,” said Darren Miller, B.S.,
ARRT, chief operating officer for the center. “While our radiologists exclusively read soft copy on interactive work stations,
today many of our referrers still request hardcopy images.
Plus, as a start-up, we had to make the most of our equipment budget.”
Image Quality Key to Growth
For its image output, VyMed’s goals were simple.
“While quality was paramount to help us break into a
new market, we needed only color paper and monochrome film output,” said Miller, an
industry veteran who has been
associated with seven PET/CT centers during his career. “Naturally,
we also were looking for reliable,
easy-to-manage workflow.”
While the center’s goals seemed
simple, putting it into place was not.
In fact, according to VyMed, the printer VyMed’s PET/CT manufacturer
quoted was inconsistent with its needs
and out of its price range. VyMed
sought a better answer, and the
results have been excellent.
“My images are beautiful,” said
Emily Corbman, CNMT, RTR, imaging director for VyMed’s Salisbury
Center. “Referring physicians are
pleased, and the printers are
extremely reliable and user-friendly.”
The Sony UP-D77MD color DICOM printer and FilmStation dry film imager
create a specialized, cost effective printing system.
Finding a Fit
Miller said he had difficulty justifying the purchase of a
large, high-output, high-maintenance printer with an equally
high price since exam volume for new, specialized PET/CT
imaging is significantly lower than for most other radiology
procedures. VyMed’s initial research found its potential referring physicians had predictable format preferences. Based on
these, the dozens of options built into today’s costly multiformat imagers would be an unnecessary drain on the department’s budget and time.
By contrast, Sony offered a full line of specialized
devices and allowed VyMed to select only the printing
components it needed to custom craft a comprehensive
hardcopy solution.
Two Devices – One
Affordable Solution
At the imaging center, the Sony
8-by-10-inch color DICOM printer
produces high-quality, smudge-free images for referring
physicians and patient records. It delivers color management, and supports accurate color reproduction and screento-print matching.
Complementing this, the Sony FilmStation dry film imager
provides monochrome printing for the single modality CT
images that often accompany hybrid exams. Taking advantage
of an innovative thermal print head and blue thermal film
specifically engineered for the device, it delivers high-resolution
images in 4,096 shades of gray.
As VyMed’s volume grows, it can expand the number of
printing units. If the center adds new modalities, it can introduce additional printer models into the Sony solution to
evolve with changing needs.
As Appearing In | Outpatient Care Technology | Dec 2006/Jan 2007 | www.OPCTonline.net
According to Miller, the Sony dual-printer configuration
purchase price was about 40 percent less than a single highvolume color dry imager. He also noted that some printers
require costly miniPACS network interfaces, while both Sony
printers are attached directly to the center’s IT network, yielding additional savings.
Sony’s customized solution, Miller added, also delivers
small footprint, redundancy and distributed workflow. If one
unit experiences problems, another can stand in. The individual units can be sited right at the technologists’ fingertips.
“The compact size is ergonomically correct for today’s medical workplace, which is increasingly crowded
with complex devices,” Miller said.
“Sony printers have been so successful that we plan to
build this Sony option into our PET/CT equipment specifications for other centers,” Miller said.
An Effective Marketing Tool
He also said that at VyMed, Sony printers operate reliably
and effortlessly, while his experience with multiformat devices
has been more difficult, requiring — not surprisingly — a multistep process to switch among various format options.
According to Corbman, the two Sony printers far surpass
the image quality of printers she has used in the past, and at
the same time, deliver
faster throughput and
easier maintenance.
Rolling Out a Sony Solution
Recognizing the potential of new
fusion modalities, VyMed says it is creating a blueprint for PET/CT centers to
be rolled out around the country. In
addition to owning two imaging centers, the company reports it also offers
professional consulting services to radiology groups on implementing their
own sites, and partners with some of
these groups to co-fund projects and
contracts to manage others.
Emily Corbman, CNMT, RTR, Center Director for VyMed,
and the center’s GE PET/CT .
“VyMed
referring
physicians are extremely
pleased with the image
quality,” she said. “One
potential referring practice commented, ‘Oh
you’re the center with
those
great
color
images.’ This is good
news as our image quality suggests the quality
of our work.” OPCT
For More Information
www.sony.com/medical
As Appearing In | Outpatient Care Technology | Dec 2006/Jan 2007 | www.OPCTonline.net