Enhancing Knowledge on Latest Innovations

Canon Medical continually develops new technologies to improve product performance. Upgrading our products means that we can provide new functionality, help our customers benefit from the latest technology, and extend the longevity of their systems, but we need to keep our customers and our own staff up-to-date with developments. Our Education & Experience Center at European Headquarters, in The Netherlands, is a key resource in this.

Prof. Guiu – CHRU St. Eloi, Montpellier Multimodality Roadmap: Overlay of 3D volumes onto fluoroscopy to improve confidence, reduce the amount of contrast and examination time.

Embolization Plan software: Semi-automatic tumor segmention and feeder detection to optimize workflow during i.e TACE procedures.

The facility was recently extended with the addition of a unique Alphenix 4D CT. The Centre is now fully equipped with an Alphenix 4D CT. It welcomed its first trainees in 2021: specialists and technicians from one of Canon’s customer hospitals, who traveled from France to learn more about the new features available on their own, newly upgraded Alphenix 4D CT system in a dedicated training session.

“The Alphenix 4D CT in the Education & Experience Centre represents our dedication in investing in an innovative multimodality solution that will improve clinical outcomes, lead to workflow optimisation, patient outcome and increased cost efficiency.”
Erwan Ladsous, European Director Interventional Radiology, Canon Medical Systems Europe.

Busy schedule

The Centre will be used to enhance the knowledge of Canon Medical’s own specialists and engineers, as well as customers. During the course of 2022, it is anticipated that the Centre will host approximately ten training sessions for Canon’s own Application Specialists in Interventional applications, 15 training sessions for Canon Service Engineers, around three customised service training sessions for hospital engineers, up to five customer application training sessions, on request. Potential customers can also visit the Centre to experience the Alphenix 4D CT ‘live’ or utilise full livestreaming possibilities remotely. The Centre is also creating a range of sales support and application materials, such as videos and user-instructions.

“When we introduce new products, such as the Alphenix 4D CT Angiography suite, we work together in close collaboration with our customers to gather their experiences and their feedback as to what may help them and their patients even further. Our partnership with customers fuels continual innovation, which manifests in upgrades and new products.” said Thomas Grossmann, Canon Medical’s Modality Manager.

“Training with the upgraded system is important,” he added. “It enables users to become familiar with new features before they start clinical practice with the upgraded system and ensure that its introduction does not affect workflows. It also means they become aware of the full range of possibilities available to them with the upgrade.”

The first customer training was attended by three staff members from one of Canon’s customers, who learned how upgrades to their Alphenix 4D CT (running on a Canon Medical Aquilion ONE / GENESIS Edition CT system) would be to used in practice. The training was held over one full day and was facilitated by Canon Medical Trainers, Xavier Carvin, Naoufel Marzak, and Yves Pijlman.

“We are extremely pleased with such a great training centre which features a unique hands-on or livestream experience for potential and actual customers.”
“The training centre gives us a vital opportunity to test new software, optimise protocols and train our European application colleagues with tailor-made courses”
Yves Pijlman – European Clinical Specialist Interventional Radiology, Canon Medical Systems Europe.

New features

In August 2021, the Alphenix 4D CT software was upgraded together with the installation of the new CT Fluoro console. The new CT Fluoro console has been designed to optimise workflow with a new touch panel and joystick design, and an improved image data display for CT Fluoro examinations.
In addition, the Alphenix 4D CT software was upgraded to implement the following improvements:

New computer hardware with improved hard-disk capacity (3.3x more data capacity).
Image quality improvements for 2D Roadmap imaging.
^SUREGuidance and Embolisation Plan software have been optimised on the Alphenix 4D CT series.
A new feature called ‘Alphenix Auto Registration’, which features full, automatic image registration for 3D Roadmap, a big step forward in workflow.

Canon Medical Systems Europe’s Interventional Radiology Team (from left to right): Ed van der Vliet (European Clinical Specialist), Sjoerd Iken (European Senior Product Manager), Erwan Ladsous (European Director Interventional Radiology), and Yves Pijlman (European Clinical Specialist).

Alphenix Auto-table functionality, C-arm and table positions can be easily restored based on previous images.
Improved flexibility to set and adapt 58” monitor layouts in the examination room with the Alphenix tablet.
Optimised Needle Guidance workflow, up to five needle paths can be set and used at the same time. The complete workflow is accessible from the tableside with the Alphenix tablet.
Upgraded embolisation plan software which enables analysis of ten tumors at the same time and improved workflow.
General workflow improvements for the Alphenix Angio Workstation.
Improved dose management for Alphenix’ SPOT Fluoro dose-saving feature.
Enhanced functionality for Dose Tracking System, allowing the generated dose reports to be transferred to PACS and/or any other network server.

“Potential customers can also visit the Centre to experience the Alphenix 4D CT ‘live’ or utilise full live-streaming possibilities remotely.”
Naoufel Marzak – Application Specialist Interventional Radiology, Canon Medical Systems France.

“The Canon CT scanners improve the accuracy and efficiency of our Interventional procedures.”
Xavier Carvin – VL Clinical Expert Interventional Radiology, Canon Medical Systems France.

Enhancing product value

The Alphenix 4D CT is an innovative, multimodality solution that will improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, clinical workflow and cost-efficiency.

“Providing the right training for users after upgrades will enhance the system’s value in the clinical workplace and is an important part of our commitment to ensure that our customers can continue to deliver optimal patient care,” said Xavier Carvin, Clinical Expert Interventional Radiology at Canon Medical Systems France. //

“We work together in close collaboration with our customers to gather their experiences and their feedback as to what may help them and their patients even further.”
Thomas Grossmann – Modality Manager Interventional Radiology, Canon Medical Systems France.

New features available with the Alphenix 4D CT

^SUREGuidance
CT and Angiography without moving the patient improves workflow.
The unique ^SUREGuidance feature in Canon Medical’s Alphenix 4D CT system provides a fast and accurate position linkage of the target exposure area between CT and Angiography.
The CT gantry, Angiographic C-arm and table can move automatically to an indicated target position, improving workflow and saving procedure time.

3D Roadmapping
Canon Medical’s 3D Roadmapping feature utilises an unsubtracted or subtracted 3D acquisition, CT or MR volume. Such a volume can be overlaid onto live Fluoroscopy which provides better guidance during the interventional treatment phase, as it always keeps the correct spatial alignment of the 3D volume with the real anatomical background irrespective of any potential C-Arm or table movement, FOV and SID changes.

The 3D/2D synchronisation works in two ways:
1.) C-Arm follows the 3D volume orientation changes.
2.) 3D volume follows the C-Arm orientation changes.

Alphenix Auto Registration
Full, automatic image registration between CT data and fluoroscopy, which represents a big step forward in workflow.