Carestream Partners With Care Center for Research on 3-D Imaging System for Extremities

Carestream and UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine have begun a research agreement to develop a new three-dimensional medical imaging system for capturing orthopedic images of patient extremities (knees, legs, feet, arms and hands).

Physicians from UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine will work with Carestream researchers to conduct clinical studies initially focused on the advantages of using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology in the diagnosis and treatment of knee injuries.

Imaging systems based on CBCT technology for use in treating orthopedic conditions—including traumatic injuries, joint replacements, arthritis and osteoporosis—can be designed to be lower in cost and use less radiation than today’s full body CT systems. This new digital technology is designed to provide the ability to capture otherwise unavailable weight-bearing images of knees, legs and feet, which are of particular interest to orthopedic and sports medicine physicians.

“Bringing three-dimensional imaging to the point where patient care is provided—whether on the playing field or at the physician’s office—has many benefits. In simple terms, three-dimensional imaging provides additional information over two-dimensional imaging technology in treating patients, but it is too expensive to be used in most medical offices. The CBCT technology we are exploring can be optimized for specific use in sports medicine and orthopaedics, and at a significantly lower cost,” said John Marzo, M.D., a physician with UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, associate professor of clinical orthopaedics, School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo and medical director for the Buffalo Bills, a New York professional football team. “Because CBCT systems are smaller in size and more affordable, they can be installed at urgent care facilities, athletic training facilities, and physicians’ and specialists’ offices. This could make it easier for patients to obtain diagnostic exams immediately following an injury and help improve evaluation and treatment.”

The two organizations plan to broaden their collaboration at a later date to study the advantages of digital medical imaging in treating other patient extremity problems. This joint research project may be further expanded to focus on developing a CBCT system with image quality that is suitable for assessing and treating traumatic brain injuries.

This collaboration builds on an agreement last year between Carestream and the Buffalo Bills with the goal of aiding Carestream’s understanding of the use of advanced medical imaging technology in early detection and monitoring of player injuries. The partnership continues to focus on the need for new technology to help address key concerns in sports medicine.

“The NFL [National Football League] supports initiatives that will help us better understand the impact of injuries and the effect on players’ health long term, with the goal of advancing sports medicine to provide better care for all athletes,” said Russ Brandon, president and CEO of Buffalo Bills. “Extending the collaboration with Carestream to include clinical research with UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is an important step that will help with this effort.”

Instant access to medical images helps determine whether a player may return to a game or a practice session, or if further treatment is necessary. The Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers and numerous other professional sports organizations around the world have adopted Carestream’s digital radiology products for use in diagnosing player injuries.

“The expertise we have gained by working with radiologists and physician specialists to develop our radiology systems puts us in a strong position to focus on sports medicine and orthopedics,” said Diana L. Nole, president, digital medical solutions, Carestream. “By strengthening our partnerships with top orthopaedic care providers and leading sports medicine experts to help guide our future product development initiatives, we can continue to bring products to market that significantly improve patient care for the elite athlete as well as the many active people in our communities.”

UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine offers care for orthopedic and musculoskeletal problems. It is part of the University Orthopaedics Services system of the State University of Buffalo, New York.

Carestream Health Inc. makes dental and medical imaging systems and is based in Rochester, N.Y.