No bones about it – State-of-the art X-ray machine unveiled at Epsom Hospital | News

A new state-of-the art X-ray machine worth £61,000 has been unveiled in the operating theatres at Epsom Hospital, allowing surgeons, radiographers and the operating theatre staff to see live diagnostic X-ray images of the patient more clearly than ever before.

The new cutting edge equipment has a whole host of innovative new features, such as a dual screen monitoring system (meaning that the surgeon and radiographers can work from their own screens at the same time) and a laser alignment system for the X-ray emitter that allows for quick and accurate imaging. It also contains specialist software to allow for better imaging of paediatric and larger patients and a feature which allows for other diagnostic images, such as MRI scans, to be put on the screen alongside the live images, meaning that a quick and easy comparison can be made.

Joint Medical Director at Epsom and St Helier, Dr James Marsh, said: “This is a fantastic new machine, bringing with it a whole host of benefits to both our patients and staff. We were the first hospital in the country to demo this machine, and we are one of the first hospitals in Europe to have one installed, so this is a very exciting time for our Trust!

“This machine will be used in our operating theatres, and will give our surgeons and radiographers access to advanced live diagnostic imaging, which can be used live during operations.

“The machine is wireless, compact and mobile, and it is also an all-in-one model (as opposed to the older, more cumbersome two-part models), which makes it much easier for our staff to transport the machine between theatres as and when it is needed. The relatively compact size of the machine also reduces the amount of space it uses in our theatres, giving the surgery teams more space to carry out their operations.”

On using the machine, Consultant Urologist, Mr Stephen Gordon said: ‘This machine is going to make our jobs in the theatres easier; which is fantastic news for our patients as well as staff, as it shows that we are continuing to improve the quality of service that we provide. Personally, my favourite features are the edge detection, which  helps with detecting the edges of small objects such as needles and kidney stones, and noise reduction features (advanced software on the machine that reduces background interference, which results in a much lower radiation dose), these features allow me to see sharp, crystal clear images of very small and hard to detect objects. The team are all very excited about getting this new machine, and we are all very much looking forward to putting it to good use!”