Sirona Dental Systems, has introduced Transversal Slice Acquisition (TSA), a new option for the ORTHOPHOS XGPlus pan/ceph x-ray unit.
With TSA, oral surgeons, implant specialists and orthodontists can now view a third dimension ¿ the ideal complement to standard panoramic X-rays. The TSA function has been developed and enhanced to embody all of the well known features of the ORTHOPHOS XG family ¿ i.e. ease of use, optimum image quality and efficient practice workflow.
Unmatched image quality
Sirona is the only manufacturer of dental X-ray systems that deploys a wide beam tomography and a special wide sensor for transversal sections. The same principle applies here as in conventional photography: the wider the aperture, the smaller the depth of field.
In the case of the ORTHOPHOS XGPlus the sharp image layer is approximately 1 millimeter thick in the incisor and canine region, 1.5 mm in the premolar region, and 2 mm in the molar region. All the objects in front of and behind the slice are intentionally out of focus, whereas the clear, diagnostically relevant information is visible in the exposure.
Fast and precise positioning
Utilizing the TSA functionality, patient positioning can be performed more quickly and precisely. With the help of the TSA ruler the operator determines the distance between the anterior teeth and the "slice" area and enters this value into the Easypad. The ORTHOPHOS XGPlus then moves automatically to the chosen position. In the anterior region, the procedure is even simpler: to have the slice exact in the anterior region, preset values for the appropriate tooth can be set on the Easypad; the TSA ruler is not necessary.
The ORTHOPHOS XGPlus automatically selects the correct orbital layers and performs a series of three X-rays with a separation of 3 millimeters in the anterior and canine region or 5 millimeters in the molar region. The position of the middle image slice corresponds to the distance entered using the Easypad.
Optimized workflow
For Transversal Slice Acquisition with the ORTHOPHOS XGPlus a combination sensor for Pan/TSA or Pan/ Ceph /TSA is used. This is an improvement as a sensor exchange is not necessary. The new sensor has two active surfaces, one for panoramic/ ceph images and one for the Transversal Slice Acquisition.
In the "combined" mode, the exposure cycle takes place without any intermediate cooling-down phase, which reduces the overall time needed to perform the X-ray. Dentists who already own an ORTHOPHOS XGPlus system can purchase a TSA upgrade kit.
"User-friendly features and low radiation dosages make the ORTHOPHOS XGPlus a viable and cost effective alternative to computed tomography (CT) and digital volume tomography (DVT)," said John Smithson, Director of Marketing ¿ Imaging.
"Another important advantage is that dentists can conclude immediately if the planned course of treatment is practical. In other words it is no longer necessary to refer the patient to an external radiography specialist for the initial screening."
For more information about TSA, please contact Sirona Dental Systems at 800-659-5977 or www.sirona.com.
