HOLOGIC, EPEX Digital Radiographic Room

EPEX is a fully integrated imaging system for general-purpose radiology utilizing our proprietary DirectRay technology. EPEX offers high throughput, superior image quality and long-term reliability.

The heart of the DirectRay system is the detector array. This cutaway view shows the amorphous selenium coating placed over the thin-film transistor matrix and the associated readout electronics that produce true direct-to-digital images.

In the digital imaging field, it is generally recognized that Direct Radiography offers superior image quality compared to computed radiography. However, it was also thought that digital radiography was more expensive than computed radiography, thereby limiting its adoption. A recent study completed at Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA, has shown that the conventional cost perception is wrong. Using time motion studies, Mount Auburn found that Hologic’s Direct Radiography systems were three to four times faster than computed radiography systems for conventional projection radiography, thereby significantly reducing the cost of ownership. This information is now being widely distributed to the trade press and we are developing on-line total cost of ownership programs to show that Direct Radiography can be a more cost effective digital imaging alternative.

Hologic’s offering of direct-to-digital fully integrated radiographic systems is currently comprised of the EPEX and RADEX general radiographic systems and the DR 1000C dedicated chest radiography system. The EPEX and RADEX systems were introduced in November 1999, four short months after our acquisition of Direct Radiography Corp. EPEX is designed specifically for a full range of general radiography examinations. The RADEX system is designed for ambulatory and outpatient general radiography examinations. We began commercial shipments of the RADEX and EPEX systems in April and July 2000, respectively. The DR 1000C is a dedicated chest radiography system configured to provide a wide range of vertical motion, allowing upright chest radiography of patients ranging from a small child to a large adult.

Hologic also offers its customers a cost effective way to convert existing conventional film based X-ray equipment to incorporate our DirectRay technology. Hologic’s digital upgrade system provides a replacement “Bucky” assembly specifically designed for the DirectRay detector and related control equipment. It is installed in place of the existing “Bucky” mechanism in the examination table, enabling the conversion to a direct-to-digital system.
At the November 2000 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, we introduced Inverse Topography™, a new software option for our digital radiography systems. Inverse Topography capitalizes on the dynamic range of the DirectRay detector and enables our digital radiography systems to optimize the appearance of both soft tissue and bone in the same hard or soft copy image. This software was well received by customers at the tradeshow. We believe that our new digital radiography systems, which offer enhanced productivity capabilities, ease-of-use, electronic image format and wide dynamic range, represent a new industry standard for image capture.