Printers: When only hardcopy will do
Multitasking printers offering varying film sizes, from a variety of modalities, gain more compact footprints. And DICOM interfaces smooth the path from modality to film in the physician's hands.Sony Electronics (Booth #4338) is highlighting its UP-D897, a small black-and white ultrasound video printer. The compact unit (88 mm x 240 mm) prints on a wide range of paper media with an ultra-fast USB 2.0 digital interface. The new printer outputs in normal, small and two time zoom in both STD and SIDE print orientations on a range of glossy, high-density and standard paper. The unit replaces the Sony UP895MD.
Codonics Inc. (Booth #4111) is announcing at RSNA a new five-year warranty package that is available for a limited time for its top model printers, such as the Horizon Multi-media Dry Imager. The five-year warranty is coupled with a 24-hour replacement service, the Sunrise Express Warranty, to expedite a replacement unit if necessary.
Eastman Kodak Co. (Booth #3537) is introducing its DryView 8150 laser imaging system at RSNA. The printer can output up to 72 films per hour. Supporting three film sizes (14"x17", 14"x14" and 11"x14"), the system is equipped with a DICOM interface that provides expansive connectivity and reduces costs associated with connection to imaging modalities.
Kodak also will debut its Color Medical Imager 1000, a networked, desktop printer that outputs prints of full-color patient images and reports. The printed images include a laminate overcoat that resists fingerprints, water and fading for long-term useability. This printer is equipped with a DICOM interface and a touch screen for display instructions. Each image is generated in less than 75 seconds, using thermal dye sublimation technology.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America (Booth #8928) is showcasing its MD3000 Medical Recorder with incorporated advanced digital technologies. The S-VHS ET function ensures 400 lines of resolution on a standard VHS videocassette tape. Additional features include: a jog/shuttle dial for easy programming; built-in digital time base corrector which eliminates jitter; skew and color blurring during playback; 3D digital noise reduction; 2D digital Y/C separation; digital frame memory (field/frame selectable); and a rotary erase head which ensures a cleaner start after recording pause. An RS-232C/USB and 34-pin parallel interface board also are available as options.
Aycan Medical Systems (Booth #7408) is showing its aycan xray-print solution. The DICOM paper print system integrates with hospital databases using the DICOM 3.0 standard. Images can be received in any modality (CT, MRI, DR, ultrasound, angiography, nuclear medicine) and then printed on the system. The aycan xray-print software includes Presentation Look-Up Tables (PLUT), which lets users set defaults and adjust image quality output settings (brightness, grayscale and contrast) for each modality. It connects with the following: DICOM 3.0 basic Grayscale/Color print Service Class Provider (SCP), DICOM 3.0 presentation LUT SCP, DICOM 3.0 Grayscale standard display function (which is optional) and TCP/IP. The system has a Pentium PIII processor, 256 MB RAM, 4 GB hard disk and 10/100 MBit network adapter.