Radiation dose optimization and safety associated with the use of fluoroscopy is increasingly being recognized as an issue.
The Joint Commission is currently seeking input on 9 new proposed revisions to ambulatory healthcare standards related to fluoroscopy. Some of the revisions include conducting annual training related to radiation dose optimization and safe procedures, patient follow-up to evaluate adverse radiation effects, and general control on radiation exposure times.
The increased focus on controlling radiation exposure times has effects on quality of care in terms of how efficiently surgeons can conduct endovascular procedures, especially those with increased complexity. The lower use of fluoroscopy would affect visualization and the surgeons’ ability to view a patient’s vascular system.
Centerline Biomedical’s IOPS uses an electromagnetic tracking system – coupled with advanced mathematical algorithms and proprietary sensorized devices – to visualize a patient’s vasculature without radiation. The visualization provided by IOPS is unlike anything surgeons have seen, offering high-quality 3D models of a patient’s vasculature in adjustable angles, even allowing surgeons to see ‘down the barrel’ of an artery.
IOPS will allow for more complicated procedures due to its advanced visualization; furthermore, surgeons will not have to use fluoroscopy as often, resulting in lower radiation dosages without compromising quality.