Author:  Johannes Scheibe, M.D.

St. Georg City Hospital in Leipzig - Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Treatment Clinic

Johannes Scheibe, M.D.

Post-operative exam of 69-year-old female after osteosynthetic repair to proximal phalanx fracture of the left third finger.

“Our AXIOM Aristos FX is in daily use as a universal radiography system, especially as the emergency radiography system with direct access to the trauma room.

The adjustable table height makes it very easy to move patients from a gurney or bed to the table. The major advantage for trauma patients is the ability to maneuver the system in all three dimensions without having to reposition the patient. All the images required for critical patients can be acquired quickly and reliably on the AXIOM Aristos FX.”

“Digital imaging is making a big difference in the trauma department; the immediate availability of the images is essential. In cases of multiple trauma, it allows us to intervene directly and decide right away which image to take next. This is important for a quick diagnosis and start of treatment.

For instance, it takes only three seconds for me to tell if the patient has a pneumothorax, and I can start the required treatment right away."

“We set up an extra server partition for multiple traumas, the emergency server. This enables us to access the images immediately from anywhere, e.g. OR or ward.

Working digitally over the network has other advantages; we are able to productively use the time we used to waste combing through films or archives.”

“Another major advantage of digital imaging with the AXIOM Aristos FX radiography system is that we almost never have to reacquire images due to faulty settings or incorrect film exposure.

Incorrect exposures were not uncommon using analog technology on multiple-trauma or uncooperative patients. We’re definitely reducing dose just by avoiding flawed exposures.”

“The image quality of the AXIOM Aristos FX with the flat-panel detector is top-notch.

Taking analog images of parts of the body with very different radiation absorption rates, such as the shoulder or hand, always involved compromise. If the image of the wrist was perfect, then the fingertips were too dark, or vice versa. Depending on the windowing, digital imaging allows us to achieve the best optical density of both the fingertips and the wrist. It takes only a few moves of the mouse to make the appropriate adjustments for an optimized image.”


*In consideration of the patient, exposure position photographs were selected after the fact to approximate the digital images. There may be differences in patient age and sex, as well as the side of the body of the imaged extremity.