Turner Imaging Systems, developers of the revolutionary Smart-C X-ray imaging system, has entered into a Sponsored Research Project with Massachusetts General Hospital to investigate the use of the Smart-C for weight-bearing radiographs of the foot and ankle.
The Smart-C mini C-arm has a unique 16-pound portable design that is battery operated and hand-transportable, potentially improving where and how fluoroscopy is performed. The C-arm uses the latest imaging technologies including a 6-by-6-inch flat panel detector and novel compact X-ray source in a package that can be placed directly on the floor, and thus can be used to make weight-bearing fluoroscopic and radiographic images of the foot and ankle.
D. Clark Turner, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Turner Imaging Systems, said, “The Smart-C was designed to revolutionize how and where doctors use X-rays … being particularly useful where patients can benefit from mobile radiology applications. We are thrilled to be working with the Foot and Ankle Research and Innovation Lab (FARIL) at Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School to validate additional advantages of the Smart-C in diagnostic and surgical applications.”
Bart Lubberts, M.D., Ph.D., said, “Weight-bearing radiographs play an essential role in the diagnostic evaluation of suspect foot and ankle pathology. By conducting a clinical trial, FARIL aims to evaluate the use of the Turner Imaging Systems Smart-C for weight-bearing radiographs. If proven successful, it can improve access to such medical imaging in the clinical workflow and benefit diagnostic evaluation.”
Massachusetts General Hospital, a global pioneer in medical and diagnostic technology, is a leader in the healthcare industry. Gregory Waryasz, M.D., will serve as the primary investigator on this trial. In addition, the research team includes Ash Fansa, M.D., Haggai Schermann, M.D., M.P.H. and Bart Lubberts, M.D., Ph.D., an instructor at the Harvard medical school.
Turner Imaging Systems, based in Orem, Utah, received FDA 510(k) clearance of the Smart-C® mini C-arm portable fluoroscopy X-ray imaging device in September of 2019.