CurveBeam has announced it has received FDA approval for its PedCAT foot and ankle CT scanner. The compact scanner, measuring only 121 by 147cm, can be placed in-office and can be used for both weight bearing and non-weight bearing imaging.
The PedCAT employs cone-beam CT technology, which is a variant of CT that uses divergent X-rays that form a cone-shape. Advantages of this technique compared to regular CT are smaller scanner size, greatly reduced radiation dose and shorter scan times. Cone Beam CT imaging is a relatively new technique that has been implemented mainly in dental and ENT practices over the past 10 years, with this being the first application we know of outside of that area.
The scanner delivers 3D volumetric data which can be reconstructed as images in different planes or in 3D. Proposed applications of the scanner include preoperative planning, detection of fractures, evaluation of dislocations and subluxations, evaluation of arthritic joints and early detection of osteomyelitis. Imaging procedure time is approximately one minute, during which one or both ankles and feet can be imaged.
Announcement: CurveBeam Facebook page…
Product page: CurveBeam PedCAT…