The i-CAT Users Group Meeting was held October 11, 2207 at the historic Sheraton –Gunter Hotel in San Antonio. VP of Imaging Sciences International (ISI), Arun Singh opened the meeting with some ISI historical facts:
1992 Imaging Sciences International founded
2003 i-CAT prototype introduced at AADMRT annual convention held in Pennsylvania.
2004 First i-CAT installed less than six months after prototype introduction
2006 Schein became exclusive distributor
2007 Danaher acquires ISI
2007 over 1000 i-CAT systems installed
Arun made note that cone beam technology has caused an evolving standard of care. More automation in treatment planning & delivery. Quickly multiplying manufacturers of CBCT. More patient awareness. CBCT has caused an evolving truly global marketplace.
ISI business philosophy has not changed:
Quality and value in products
Pride in support and service
Close attention to customer feedback
Continuous innovation and improvement
Commitment to education and training. Want proof? Arun Sing, VP of ISI has attended every single AADMRT annual convention for fifteen continuous years. There are only a handful of AADMRT members who can attest to that feat.
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New generation i-CAT has been introduced with:
Scan time of 5, 8.5, or 25 seconds
Reconstruction time less than 30 seconds
Frames per scan 160 (5 seconds)
300 (8.5 seconds)
600 (25 seconds)
Extended field of view is 17 cm height with 23 cm diameter
Standard 4,6,8,10,13 cm height with 16cm diameter.
8.5 second scan time down from 20 seconds
40 second scan reduced to 26 seconds
10 seconds scan down to 5 seconds
New adjustable sensor orientation allows capture of portrait and landscape.
Portrait captures extended field of view in 8.5 seconds with less radiation to patient than i-CAT Classic because it requires only one scan.
Increased diameter, low noise and better soft tissue resolution
Landscape full resolution and detail for smaller volumes.
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Expanding applications with integration with 3rd party software.
Work in progress:
Camera for 3D skin surface
Image quality
Integration with PACS / practice management software
Expansion of training/education/support
Substantial addition to ISI R& D team
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The upgrade path for the i-CAT Classic will hopefully be defined in early 2008
Option to utilize either or both Xoran CAT and i-CAT Vision
Nerve canal estimation/marking tool will be available for XoranCAT and i-CAT Vision
i-CAT Vision report feature
Gradual integration of 3D renderings in XoranCAT and i-CAT Vision
Exchange 12 bit to 14 bit flat panel, which might require a new tube head too. In the future, a 16 bit software upgrade will become available and will require the 14 bit panel.
For the current i-CAT Classic owners who want the features of the new generation i-CAT, the possibility and practicality of the i-CAT Classic being exchanged for the new generation i-CAT is being seriously considered. Think of it this way: it really is not much different than trading in your used car for a brand new vehicle. Answer this question: Is your current vehicle generating daily income for you? Your i-CAT does! In fact, your i-CAT can generate sufficient profits for you to purchase or lease that new car you have always wanted!
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The guest speaker was Amnon Leitner, who has three Maxillofacial Imaging Centers in Israel. He demonstrated the importance of proper volume rotation and tilt. According to Amnon, you want to create cross sectional images that display the shortest distance between lingual and buccal cortical bone for accurate portrayal of anatomy. We need to see the anatomical truth.
Amnon recommends that for the full height scan to keep the occlusal plane horizontal.
The limited height mandibular scan should have the base of the mandible horizontal so premolars are vertical.
For the maxillary scan, tip the patient up insuring sufficient space to tilt down in MPR.
For 3rd molars, to avoid the metal shadow have the patient raise their chin up to avoid metal restorations in region of interest (ROI).
While waiting for reconstruction on high resolution scans, uncheck the display picture for faster time.
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The remainder of the i-CAT users meeting was dedicated to a round table (open questions) discussion with a complementary box lunch provided by Imaging Sciences International. In fact the i-CAT Users Meeting room expenses was entirely covered by ISI.
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With the ever changing environment of cone beam technology, it is critical that i-CAT users keep up to date with the latest technological information. With that in mind, the next i-CAT users meeting will be scheduled in March 2008. Please check back soon for more details.
Imaging Sciences International has been heavily investing in research so you can expect continuous major software and hardware developments, including an i- CAT Vision software update very soon!
