Hatfield, Pa.--Imaging Sciences International Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced dental and maxillofacial radiography products, has announced that its i-CATT advanced 3-D imaging technology is compatible with the popular SimPlant implant planning software and the SurgiGuide drill guides, including the bone supported guides.
Now specialists performing implant surgeries using SimPlant's planning software can use detailed 3-D anatomical data taken from Imaging Science's i-CATT to create the most complete and accurate treatment plans.
The i-CATT's state-of-the-art, anatomically accurate images are digitally transferred to SimPlant's preoperative planning software in order to obtain all of the required information to facilitate functional implant planning. SimPlant's Pro and Master versions are able to seamlessly integrate any type of conventional or Cone Beam CT data.
In fact, Imaging Sciences' DICOM 3 Compliant Output enables the i-CATT to integrate with virtually all leading implant planning and 3rd party volumetric software products. The i-CATT's widespread compatibility is one reason why it has become the industry's most popular in-office 3-D scanner, along with its size, cost, and ability to provide nearly instantaneous high-quality, low-radiation images.
"The i-CATT's unprecedented blend of in-office convenience and imaging accuracy is dramatically enhancing patient care," says Edward Marandola, President and CEO of Imaging Sciences. "And the machine's widespread compatibility is an important part of that winning combination. Now specialists using SimPlant can streamline their treatment planning process, and increase surgical success, by using the most advanced 3-D imaging technology."
The i-CATT's scans of the mouth, face, and jaw areas display all the anatomical features necessary for successful implant planning, including the position of teeth, nerves, bone structures, plus the width and density of bone and gum tissue. These images can be exported, formatted, and then plugged into the SimPlant Platform for analysis, implant procedure planning, and SurgiGuide drill guide production.
SimPlant is the only implant planning system to offer dental specialists extensive editing and planning tools, allowing them to obtain "pixel-precise" 3-D models and to place realistic implants, making it simple and routine for the surgeon to plan for accurate implant procedures.
"SimPlant's interpretation and diagnosis platform, one of the most powerful tools for CT analysis and implant planning, coupled with the introduction of the i-CATT 3-D Cone Beam dental imaging system, a tremendous scientific breakthrough in CT imaging, provides dental specialists with accurate implant planning, diagnosis, and treatment options not available with conventional panoramic or periapical radiology," says Dr. Scott D. Ganz, DMD, Maxillofacial Prosthodontist with a private practice in Fort Lee, NJ.
"The advent of Cone Beam CT has been an important catalyst to focus the dental implant industry on this amazing technology. As one of the earliest SimPlant users, and international lecturer and advocates of CT and Cone Beam CT applications for dentistry, I can attest to the fact that the combination of Materialise's SimPlant software and the Imaging Sciences' i-CATT Cone Beam CT scan machine takes the art of implant surgery and transforms it into a science," adds Dr. Ganz.
"Cone Beam CT data, as interpreted through 3-D on-screen images, takes the visualization of anatomy to a new level of understanding and appreciation. When coupled with SimPlant's properly designed templates, diagnosis and treatment planning, i-CATT users are able to plan for successful implant surgeries because all of the vital information is available before the scalpel ever touches the patient."
SimPlant's Pro Version allows direct import of i-CATT's DICOM 3 data, without reformatting, so dental surgeons are able to conveniently perform in-office i-CATT scans and directly import the data into SimPlant, eliminating multiple consultations and follow-up visits that this process normally requires.
Thanks to the combination of the i-CATT and SimPlant Pro, the implant planning process, which typically takes 3 or more patient visits, can now be performed by dental specialists, in-office, in just minutes.
The scans exported from SimPlant also help to create the growing popularity of SurgiGuide for successful implant procedures. These SurgiGuide drill guides, custom-made for applicable supporting surfaces for each patient, are aligned to the implant's exact dimension, angulation, and depth to guide the surgeon's drill to the exact location on the jaw and bone.
Now with the Imaging Sciences' technology, compatibility with the SurgiGuides--including the bone-supported guides--has increased.
"The combination of Imaging Sciences' i-CATT data with SimPlant's implant planning software and 3-D reconstruction allows me to help my referring doctors plan the most comprehensive and accurate treatment plans for implant patients, as well as create anatomically correct physical surgical guides for successful implant surgeries," says Dr. Bernard Friedland, B.Ch.D., MSc., J.D., Assistant Professor and Head of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Division at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
"The i-CATT benefits patients with quick, comfortable, and significantly lower radiation dosage scans which are seamlessly integrated and interfaced with SimPlant's software. I am extremely pleased with the quality and integration of both systems."
The easy-to-use i-CATT is the leader in Cone Beam 3-D Imaging by producing more thorough three-dimensional views of all oral and maxillofacial structures. Its unparalleled images let doctors accurately prepare for procedures such as implants; bone reconstruction and grafting; TMJ evaluation; and treatments for impacted teeth, trauma, and pathology. Patients remain seated in an 'open environment scan', which increases patient comfort and captures the natural orientation of anatomy.
The data is transferred to a computer, in a matter of minutes, and displayed on an intuitive 3-D mapping tool that allows doctors and technicians to easily format and select desired 'slices' for immediate viewing. Requiring under 60 square feet of office space, the i CATT creates 3-D images at reduced cost and with considerably less radiation than traditional Fan Beam Computed Tomography systems.
"The combination of Imaging Sciences' 3-D Cone Beam CT Scanner, the i-CATT, with the SimPlant Platform from Materialise, provides dental specialists with the most advanced and accurate tools to find the perfect implant location and perform successful and accurate implant surgeries," says Dr. Fadi Glor, Product Manager of SimPlant.
"With the SimPlant Platform, Materialise is proud to offer dental specialists more than just software, but a whole set of solutions to enhance their surgical practice and benefit their patients."
