Fujifilm’s ASPIRE Cristalle: improving mammography for both facilities and patients

The radiology department at Ashley County Medical Center (ACMC), a 33-bed critical access hospital in Crossett, Arkansas, has always made dose management a top priority. It plays a role in all key decisions and is something each employee thinks about on a daily basis.

“Historically, we have always focused on dose,” says Ronnie Dillion, ACMC director of radiology. “We do dose tracking here on all of our equipment, and it’s always on our minds.”

It comes as no surprise, then, that when ACMC started shopping for a new digital mammography solution in 2015, dose management was at the top of the hospital’s wish list.

“We wanted the highest image quality with the lowest dose,” Dillion says. “We started looking at the technical aspects of different vendors, and Fujifilm’s ASPIRE Cristalle Digital Mammography system was a perfect fit for us.”

And just like that, the team’s search for a new solution was complete. Fujifilm installed the ASPIRE Cristalle system in July 2015, and Dillion says it was a quick and simple process. His team was able to learn the system quickly and hit the ground running.

“Fujifilm is always right there when you need them,” Dillion says. “They reach out proactively to see if anything is wrong and they always ask for suggestions I might have to make the system even better.”

Amy Rice, ACMC lead mammography technologist, says Fujifilm’s customer service has been strong since day one. “There’s always someone from Fujifilm available if I have a question,” she says. “I have no problems finding help when I need it.”

Now, well over a year since the install was finished, Dillion and his team say they are thankful every day that they chose Fujifilm. ACMC’s radiologists, technologists and administrators are all pleased with the new system, and Dillion is perhaps the most excited about how patients are being exposed to the absolute lowest radiation doses possible.

“There is a noticeable difference in dose now that we have ASPIRE,” Dillion says. “And a lot of the patients we see here are friends and family members, so it’s rewarding to help them and know they are getting a low dose.”

Creating a better patient experience

The leaders within ACMC’s radiology department are quick to list additional features that make ASPIRE Cristalle so important to the hospital. For example, the system’s patented Comfort Paddles improve image quality by gently spreading breast tissue during the exam. And as the paddles conform to the shape of the patient’s breast, it creates a much more comfortable patient experience than other mammography systems.

“The Comfort Paddles have been a big help,” Rice says. “Almost every patient comments on how much better the paddles are than what they experienced in prior exams. It makes a real difference to them.”  

In addition to its paddles, the ASPIRE system also makes patients more comfortable by providing smooth, padded surfaces on the face rest and all grip handles. Backlighting and decal designs were also created in an attempt to make the system as calming as possible for patients.

Simplified workflows, less day-to-day maintenance

One popular feature with Rice’s team is the ASPIRE Cristalle’s swivel arm, which can be adjusted from +90° to -90° with the touch of a single button. This improves workflow efficiency, she says, and the system also includes a one-button start up and one-button shutdown.

Rice says her favorite thing about using this new solution for the last 16-plus months has been that it requires much less day-to-day maintenance that what she is used to, thanks to the ASPIRE QC Tools.

“My favorite thing about this system is the faster quality control,” Rice says. “It now takes 10 or 15 minutes once a week. With our previous machine, it would take an hour or more every day.”

Overall, Dillion and Rice both say the ASPIRE Cristalle Digital Mammography system has had a significant impact on their hospital. Rice says she has already recommended the system to several facilities in the market for a new solution, and she’ll continue to do so.

“Between the sharper images, the lower dose, and the way the machine adjusts to each individual person, it’s just been a great all-around experience,” she says.