Siemens Healthcare announced FDA clearance of the world's first twin robotic X-Ray system, the Multitom Robotic Advanced X-Ray (Rax), at this year's RSNA meeting.

The system can be used for trauma, orthopedic, interventional and pain management applications. Because of that, the clinicians can conduct a variety of exams in one room without having to move the patient.

"The big benefit is that you buy one room and have multiple returns on investment," Pierre Niepel, director of product marketing for radiography and fluoroscopy X-ray products at Siemens, told HCB News.

It's the first system that allows for the acquisition of 3-D natural weight-bearing images. It's important to take images while the patient is standing because the patient's knees, pelvis and spinal column show up differently in images when their body weight is applied versus when they are lying down.

The system consists of two ceiling-mounted robotic arms — one controls the X-ray tube and the other controls the flat-panel detector — that can either be positioned automatically or manually with servo motor support to make fine adjustments. While one of the arms moves the X-ray tube, the other arm moves the 17 inch by 17 inch flat-panel detector, which can can record static, dynamic and real 3-D sequences.

Since conventional 2-D X-ray systems don't show fine hairline fractures in the bone, patients usually have to undergo a CT exam because a 3-D image can confirm the diagnosis. However, the Multitom Rax can acquire the 3-D image, so the patient doesn't have to be transferred to a CT system.

"It won't replace CT, but it will free up the CT scanner for patients with more complex cases who need CT the most," said Niepel.

Niepel added that it's a nice system for large hospitals, but will also find its place in small hospitals as well. "They only have to buy one system to perform all of the exams," he said.

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