April, 2002

First CR Installation For BUPA Gatwick Park

Bupa Healthcare has recently installed its first Computed Radiography (CR) System at BUPA Gatwick Park Hospital in Surrey.

A Kodak DirectView CR 800 single plate reader was chosen as the capture device and this is currently linked to a dual format Kodak DryView 8200 Laser Imager. The CR 800 was chosen because of the high image quality coupled with its robust reputation and the ease of operation through the touch screen monitor. This monitor, which is fixed to the reader, allows patient data to be entered, along with image manipulation by radiographers before the images are printed.

Gatwick Park Hospital does not, as yet, have a Radiology Information System (RIS) in place and so Kodak's unique Remote Patient Data Entry System (RPDES) has been included in the installation. This allows the data to be entered on an existing separate workstation within the radiology reception area and this is then sent to the CR 800 workstation ready for the radiographer to use when the patient arrives.

Radiology Manager, Evelyn Haggar, is delighted with the new system and the simple transition to the technology experience by all the staff. She also commented that in the small area available to them, the fact that chemicals and processing are no longer required has improved the working environment considerably, and the images produced by the CR 800 and Laser Imager are superb. Kodak was a key element in this choice because of their reputation for reliable products and innovative technology.

Evelyn is now keen to move to the next stage, which is to consider installing workstations for radiologist reporting and storing the images to an archive.

In the long term, BUPA now has a site with which to trial the new digital system with a view to expanding this technology throughout their network of hospitals and healthcare centres.

Kodak, DirectView and DryView are trade marks

For further information, please contact:
Giulia Coope
Health Imaging
01442 844648 (Tel)
01442 844842 (Fax)