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Torrance, Calif-based iCRco is enjoying life on the open water as of late. The company’s iCR3600 computed radiography system has been steadily earning its sea legs, with recent installs on board a pair of popular cruise lines, as well as a Coast Guard ship.
 The company last month announced that its CR system was on board the World ResidenSea and a Port Canaveral family-oriented cruise line, with maximum capacities of 1,046 and 3,325, respectively. “It was a great pleasure to learn iCRco was selected as the preferred vendor for these exceptional, family-oriented cruise lines,” said Mark Valentine, president and COO of iCRco. “We are proud to have recently installed the iCR3600 on the Coast Guard’s Healey, and we are starting to make waves in maritime health care. This is just another example of how versatile our CR machines are and the environments they are operating in.”
Without a local area network, there is an obvious restriction of connectivity out in the sea. “Challenges of maritime radiology are a fact, that’s true. There is limited access of connectivity to the broadband Internet,” said radiological technologist Lisa Dougherty, an iCRco application specialist. Furthermore, prior exams would likely not be available
Nevertheless, Dougherty believes that CR systems have made it much easier for on-board physicians to acquire a diagnosis once connectivity is established. Despite the limitations, digital radiology has changed the face of maritime imaging, for example, allowing computer-based identification of potentially life-threatening conditions without a physician on board. The CR can be mounted on a wall, making it an ideal choice for a small maritime x-ray room.
“Durability and the proven reliability of iCR3600 make this CR the ideal choice for many unconventional environments for medical imaging,” Dougherty continued. “iCRco products have been tested and withstood many vigorous military testing drills and operated flawlessly under harsh conditions.”
According to iCRco, the company’s Clarity PACS system sports a number of benefits, including zero downtime, easy training, low cost of entry, and manageable maintenance. Furthermore, it enables permanent storage of images in a small footprint with the capability to transmit images through the vessel.
“Depending on the preference of the end user, acquired images can be stored on board or transmitted wirelessly to a land-based PACS,” Dougherty explained. “iCRco CR systems can store up to many years of data in the maritime setting; however, it may also be a choice to keep patient data on board and back up to an external land-based PACS.”
iCRco said it is currently in talks for more installations, and it expects to fill the demand for maritime radiology solutions.
“The future of maritime imaging will involve integration of computer-aided diagnostic tools with digital imaging modalities through the PACS,” Dougherty said. “Faster Internet connections via satellite will also be critical to exchanging information quickly and efficiently.” |
