INNOVATION
Fujifilm’s £1.3billion R&D spend continues to generate medical innovations
F
rom microscopy to outer space Fujifilm is constantly seeking
better solutions and nowhere is this more apparent than in the field of healthcare. Last year saw Fujifilm’s annual spending on Research and Development reach over £1.3billion. This continued investment reflects the company’s commitment to innovation even during the turbulent financial times in which we find ourselves.
Fujifilm has been a leading innovator in medical imaging for decades. Beginning with the introduction of their superb X-ray film products and a range of reliable and efficient film processors they became one of the major suppliers of film in the UK.
Foreseeing the huge advantages digital image capture, distribution and storage had over traditional X-ray processing Fujifilm worked on a solution and, in 1983, they became the first to develop computed radiography, a technology in which they still lead the world. This first foray into digital imaging led directly to the fully digital radiology departments with which we are now so familiar.
Fujifilm’s corporate R&D philosophy is to take technologies from each of the cutting edge disciplines in which it is involved, including; organic and inorganic materials, digital imaging, optics, thin film formation and processing, semiconductors and flat panel materials and to use these to best effect across its entire portfolio of products.
In the medical arena this has 56 nhe
seen advances in several areas including digital mammography. The FDR Amulet, a full field digital mammography system, has a patented dual amorphous selenium layer detector which benefits directly from the company’s “vacuum deposition technology” developed initially for use in photographic film and paper coating in a “nano” environment.
The amulet also features “optical switching” another proprietary Fujifilm technology which allows mammography images of superb quality to be produced at an incredible 50 micron resolution.
This technology allows images to be displayed in less than 8 seconds and by reducing inter exposure times to less than 15 seconds efficiency is greatly increased.
Fujifilm’s experience in the manufacture of selenium detectors is also used to great effect in their latest direct radiography (DR) general X-
ray room the FDR AcSelerate. This room features automatic positioning, auto-collimation, auto-centring and auto-tracking in order to improve workflow and thus efficiency. The use of selenium in the detector is aimed at reducing radiation dose and increasing image quality. The AcSelerate also features long- leg and whole spine imaging which can be carried out on both the upright and table mounted detectors.
A further development of Fujifilm’s DR technology is the FDR D-EVO. The D-EVO is a cassette sized DR detector which can be used either within a fixed X-ray unit or can be taken out and used directly beneath the
patient whether they are in a chair or on a trolley. The D- EVO features Fujifilm’s unique “irradiation side sampling” technology which allows image data to be collected directly from the front of the detector. This sampling method negates the issue of a loss of image quality which can occur due to the scattering effect seen within the structure of a conventional DR detector. This enables an increase in image quality and a decrease in radiation dose.
Fujifilm has now begun to diversify from its X-ray roots and is just about to launch its first ultrasound machine the FAZONE-CB. The FAZONE’s major selling point is its superb image quality which benefits from decades of the company’s digital imaging experience.
The FAZONE is a premium portable machine which has a large 12” flat screen monitor and its unique and easy to use operator interface makes for great anytime, anyplace, anywhere ultrasound imaging.
Nov/Dec 10
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