CT: The Quantum Leap to Electronic Imaging Analysis

Just as imaging diagnostics are leaping forward in the veterinary industry, so to is the electronic analysis of the imaging results. X-ray film is now a thing of the past at the Southern Animal Referral Centre, and this quiet revolution of digital imaging is now creeping into the clinics of primary care vets utilising SARC advanced imaging services.

Outpatient CTs at the Southern Animal Referral Centre are now accepted from a great number of practices in the area. Practices in the immediate vicinity who have not referred for outpatient CT are now in the minority.

A number of the leading practices are now moving into the area of DICOM image viewing and manipulation with CT slice sets. Images are being electronically manipulated with complimentary image viewing software (E-Film Lite) distributed with each image set.

This method of image analysis is akin to moving from a horse and cart to a race car. Imaging is no longer static and limited to the views printed on the x-ray film. Now the image can be fully manipulated, colourised, viewed in 3 dimensions (in some cases), cut away, magnified many times without loss of resolution and “windowed” to show specific structures and densities of tissue.

In simple terms the software is allowing vets to smash through the old x-ray film barrier into a completely digital world of diagnostic imaging and manipulation. A growing number of primary care vets have attended the Centre to become familiar with the basic functions of these imaging packages and are now using electronic analysis when receiving image sets from outpatient scans.

If you would like to learn more about DICOM viewing software and its capabilities relevant to your practice, please do not hesitate to call James Simcock at the Southern Animal Referral Centre on (03) 9532 5261.

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