Check Out PathVision from Faxitron

Faxitron is the industry standard in cabinet x-ray systems for point-of-care specimen radiography, research imaging irradiation and NDT applications. Their install base exceeds more than 7,000 systems worldwide in medical and scientific facilities.

I was first introduced to Faxitron at CAP ’14 year before last in Chicago and was impressed by the technology and enhancements over some of their older systems many of us are familiar with in our pathology laboratories for specimen x-rays.

Recently I had a chance to visit Faxitron’s headquarters in Tucson, Arizona and get a look under the covers a bit at the technology and see what goes into producing these devices and bringing them to market for clinical applications, particularly the PathVision system.

First off, their corporate headquarters are clearly very focused on Research and Development and innovative production given the amount of space and personnel working in these areas. Open, collaborative areas and efficient assembly zones fully staffed allow for a continuous stream of building, testing and shipping units efficiently while working on new technologies for the future.

The PathVision is built for and with the pathology end user in mind; every facet of ergonomics, simple implementation, and training with one-touch specimen x-ray capability with high resolution images with some post-image acquisition enhancements. The accompanying software can be easily interfaced with PACS systems to facilitate image capture, storage and review.

The system was so simple, I could choose a patient from the worklist, place a specimen within the device and capture amazing specimen x-rays very quickly with minimal demonstration and no prior experience.

Secondly, my sense is that the company understands the business they are in, not only in healthcare/medicine/ pathology/laboratory but they are focused on who benefits from the end result of their technology – the patient.

Features, usability, maintenance and service/support are all addressed for the end user – be it a pathologist, pathologist assistant or resident/fellow performing a specimen x-ray but the company understands that the images themselves improve patient care. Faxitron understands evaluation of paraffin block cassettes for microcalcifications or clip detection or margin assessment or analysis of bone or organs improve our efficiency and productivity but they also understand the need to be patient-centric in their approach.

Lastly, we reviewed business cases and ROI for PathVision.

Faxitron makes this very simple with a Cost Savings analysis (download the Faxitron app for free or visit http://www.faxitron.com/medical/calculator/pathvision). I encourage you to run this for yourself based on your volumes in time and costs saved with more accurate tissue processing and block selection for breast specimens. You can input the number of blocks, percent of cases requiring recuts and added reimbursement for being more selective with CPT code 76098.

Even with a modest number of breast specimens in your institution and specimen x-ray capability to make the appropriate but more limited number of blocks/slides the cost and time savings are significant, providing significant ROI and value-added investment. Not to mention this calculator does not take into account pathologist assistant or pathologist time savings/efficiencies in addition to the technical cost savings.

I encourage you to see it for yourself with the company’s no-cost, no-obligation trial program and see what specimen x-ray can do for your laboratory. Contact the company through their website, www.faxitron.com or check them out at USCAP this March in Seattle for a hands-on demonstration.