Two words can define KA Imaging’s first in-person event since the start of the pandemic: busy and successful. “It was a great opportunity to meet the imaging and industry communities,” said Amol Karnick, President and CEO of KA Imaging. 

RSNA 2021 Scientific Assembly & Annual Meeting took place in Chicago from November 28 to Dec 02. It is the world’s largest medical imaging conference and showcases the latest medical imaging technology in X-ray, CT, MRI, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing, and more. 

At RSNA 2021, KA Imaging showcased its innovative Reveal 35C, the worlds first single exposure dual-energy X-ray detector. Reveal is retrofittable and can be called a detector-side dual-energy upgrade: simply by replacing the detector, any existing X-ray system can be upgraded to dual-energy. With the same radiation dose as a chest X-ray, it is possible to create 3 different images without motion artifacts (the standard digital X-ray, soft tissue and bone), giving the ability to see the lungs and soft tissue without having bones obstructing the view, as well as to identify calcified nodules and vessels. 

Dual-Energy Subtraction (DES) has been clinically shown to improve the detection of several chest diseases¹. In a paper presented earlier this year at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR), the Reveal 35C technology was shown to detect 25% more pneumonia cases (including COVID-19) than traditional X-Ray². “ The use of dual-energy x-ray in COVID-19 to detect manifestations of the disease in the lungs may contribute to improve diagnosis,” explained Karim S. Karim, CTO of KA Imaging. “The healthcare community has been seeking solutions that can be easily deployed, accurate and quickly disinfected – exactly what we want to provide with Reveal 35C,” he continued. 

The company also presented some of what the engineering team has been developing behind the lab walls: single exposure dual energy tomosynthesis (an innovation showcase only, not available for sale). The first images were released just before the show. The idea is to provide DE tomo images using the existing clinical tomo techniques, lowering the radiation dose and eliminating motion artifacts. 

 

References:

1.  

(Lung Nodules) Oda, Seitaro, Kazuo Awai, Yoshinori Funama, Daisuke Utsunomiya, Yumi Yanaga, Koichi Kawanaka, Takeshi Nakaura et al. “Detection of small pulmonary nodules on chest radiographs: efficacy of dual-energy subtraction technique using flat-panel detector chest radiography.” Clinical radiology 65, no. 8 (2010): 609-615. 

(Pneumothorax) Urbaneja, A., Dodin, G., Hoosu, G., et al. (2018) Added Value of Bone Subtraction in Dual-energy Digital Radiography in the Detection of Pneuomothorax: Impact of Reader Expertise and Medical Specialty. The Association of University Radiologists. Elsevier Inc. 

(Pneumonia) Martini, Katharina, Marco Baessler, Stephan Baumueller, and Thomas Frauenfelder. “Diagnostic accuracy and added value of dual-energy subtraction radiography compared to standard conventional radiography using computed tomography as standard of reference.” PloS one 12, no. 3 (2017): e0174285. 

(Tuberculosis) Sharma, Madhurima, Manavjit Singh Sandhu, Ujjwal Gorsi, Dheeraj Gupta, and Niranjan Khandelwal. “Role of digital tomosynthesis and dual energy subtraction digital radiography in detection of parenchymal lesions in active pulmonary tuberculosis.” European Journal of Radiology 84, no. 9 (2015): 1820-1827. 

(Coronary Calcifications) Song, Yingnan, Hao Wu, Di Wen, Bo Zhu, Philipp Graner, Leslie Ciancibello, Haran Rajeswaran et al. “Detection of coronary calcifications with dual energy chest X-rays: clinical evaluation.” The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging (2020): 1-8. 

Kuhlman, Janet E., Jannette Collins, Gregory N. Brooks, Donald R. Yandow, and Lynn S. Broderick. “Dual-energy subtraction chest radiography: what to look for beyond calcified nodules.” Radiographics 26, no. 1 (2006): 79-92. 

2. Sanchez F, Kandel S, May M, Ronghe S, Rogalla P. Diagnostic value of dual-energy chest x-ray in immunocompromised patients to rule out pneumonia: initial results. European Congress of Radiology-ECR 2021, 2021