"Imaging is a very important element of our practice, and to remain competitive and assure our patients were receiving the best care, we knew it was critical to invest in high-quality digital X-ray systems," said Mary Jones, Imaging Supervisor, Mid County Orthopaedic. "We anticipate significant improvements in both workflow efficiency and image quality from our implementation of Agfa HealthCare's imaging solutions; improvements that will enable us to focus more on the patient and enhance the overall level of care we provide."

Versatility and convenience for increased workflow efficiency
One of the largest orthopaedic groups in St. Louis, Mid County Orthopaedic has installed Agfa HealthCare's CR 30-X and CR 35-X systems.

The CR 30-X is a tabletop X-ray digitizer that enables a more convenient and faster workflow throughout the entire imaging process. The system offers the efficiency and excellence in image quality typically expected from a full-sized model. The size and ease of use of the CR 30-X is ideal for private practices such as Mid County Orthopaedic to meet all workflow requirements.

The CR 35-X supports a broad range of applications and provides significant results to a facility experiencing a high volume of spinal examinations among other common orthopaedic exams. The system is expected to improve efficiency for clinicians at Mid County Orthopaedic, who conduct thousands of exams monthly.

"Agfa HealthCare's computed radiography (CR) imaging solutions are an excellent match for the advanced orthopaedic care needs at Mid County or any other orthopaedic practice," said Merry Guy, Senior Marketing Manager, Agfa HealthCare U.S. "By providing affordable solutions with rapid throughput and high image quality, even in limited-space environments, our customers can focus on providing excellent care while still managing costs."

Integrated management tools and high image quality
Both CR systems include Agfa HealthCare's patented MUSICA2 image processing software, optimizing image quality and workflow. MUSICA2 consists of intelligent image processing technologies that independently adjust multiple levels of contrast and density within images. By producing a high image quality, independent of modality or acquisition technology, the clinician can now spend less time manipulating images and more time at the patient's side.

In addition to MUSICA2 technology, Mid County Orthopaedic will benefit from the CR systems' use of Agfa HealthCare's NX workstation. The NX workstation provides clinicians with the ability to streamline workflow for direct radiography (DR) and CR systems and includes a full complement of management tools to assure that staff and systems are operating as planned. The CR 30-X and CR 35-X support the NX Full Leg Full Spine application where up to three, 14 by 17 inch images are automatically stitched together to create accurate full leg or full spine images for orthopaedic measurements. The NX workstation provides the tools to measure distances and angles and determine leg length differences and scoliosis angles.

About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,948 million euro in 2010.

About Agfa HealthCare
Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a leading global provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions. The company has nearly a century of healthcare experience and has been a pioneer on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990's. Today Agfa HealthCare designs, develops and delivers state-of-the-art systems for capturing, managing and processing diagnostic images and clinical/administrative information for hospitals and healthcare facilities, as well as contrast media solutions to enable effective medical imaging results. The company has sales offices and agents in over 100 markets worldwide. Sales for Agfa HealthCare in 2010 were 1,180 million euro.