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INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY - ON THE TRANSITION TO DIGITAL

user@domain.com — 2011-07-01T14:21:58-05:00

ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY:

Digital radiology may represent the greatest technological advancement in medical imaging over the last decade. The use of radiographic films in x ray imaging might become obsolete in a few years. An appropriate analogy that is easy to understand is the replacement of typical film cameras with digital cameras. Images can be immediately acquired, deleted, modified, and subsequently sent to a network of computers.

The benefits from digital radiology are enormous. It can make a radiological facility or department filmless. The referring physician can view the requested image on a desktop or a personal computer and often report in just a few minutes after the examination was performed. The images are no longer held in a single location; but can be seen simultaneously by physicians who are kilometres apart. In addition, the patient can have the x ray images on a compact disk to take to another physician or hospital.

For valuable information concerning a digital transition go to the:

Establishing a digital radiography facility

REGISTERING YOUR CLINIC, PERSONEL AND X-RAY MACHINE

user@domain.com — 2011-07-01T14:21:54-05:00

WARNING: THIS INFORMATION IS PLACED HERE FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF OUR CUSTOMERS. YOU MUST CONTACT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES / RADIATION CONTROL FOR POSSIBLE LATE CHANGING REGULATIONS. REMEMBER RULES CHANGE!

FORMS YOU WILL NEED:
We have prepared all the FORMS YOU WILL NEED for you to view or print!

* NOTE - You may not need all these forms...
-OR-
GO TO OUR FORM DOWNLOAD PAGE FOR INDIVIDUAL FORMS
-OR-
USE THESE DIRECT LINKS:

Healing Arts, Veterinary Medicine and Academic X-Ray Machine Registration - For a new Certificate of Registration, the following forms must be completed to register your medical or academic facility. Submit the completed forms along with the appropriate fee:

RC Form 226-2 - Application for Users of Radiation Machines in Healing Arts, Veterinary Medicine and Academic Facilities.
RC Form 226-1 - Business Information Form
RC Form 42-3 - Radiation Safety Officer Information
Fee Schedule - To determine the fee for your facility refer to 25 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §289.204, "Fees for Certificates of Registration, Radioactive Material(s) Licenses, Emergency Planning and Implementation, and Other Regulatory Services.

Mail the forms and fee to:

Radiation Machine Source Group MC 2003
Radiation Control Program Texas Department of State Health Services
P. O. Box 149347 Austin, Texas 78714-9347

-OR-

Go to the Applications and Forms page at Radiation Control Then choose the ones you need...
* NOTE - FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION GO TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES:

RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM

DO I PAY SALES TAX ON MY X-RAY MACHINE?

user@domain.com — 2011-07-01T14:23:09-05:00

To research the information provided click on the Windows on State Government Logo below:

If you are a business residing in the state of Texas, you are required to report any equipment purchases, film, chemistry and many other consumable items purchased out of state to the State Comptrollers Office and pay state sales tax. Companies doing business outside the state of Texas are not required to collect Texas Sales Tax on your purchase.

In the event of an audit by the State of Texas, all purchases made prior to the audit and with any applicable sales tax due, penalties may be calculated as follows:

During the first 30 days from the date of single item purchase a 5% Penalty will be applied.
During the second 30 days from the date of single item purchase an additional 5% Penalty will be applied.
After 60 days from the date of purchase interest will accrue until tax has been paid in full.

Information provided by the State Comptrollers Office - GET THE FACTS!

Example: If you have been in business for 5 years and you are being audited today, the TCPA will go back the 5 years and for all applicable purchases made for which sales tax was due, the above interest and penalties will begin.

Do I owe tax on goods purchased via mail-order catalogs or Internet merchandise?

Yes. A seller who uses catalogs or the Internet to sell goods is treated the same as any other seller of taxable items. If you purchase merchandise through a catalog or the Internet from a seller located in Texas, you owe Texas sales tax on the purchase. If you purchase merchandise through a catalog or the Internet from a seller located outside of Texas and use the taxable item in Texas, then you owe Texas use tax on the purchase. An out-of-state mail-order company or an Internet company may hold a Texas Sales and Use tax permit and collect Texas tax. If the out-of-state seller does not have a Texas permit or does not collect Texas use tax, the use tax is due and payable by the purchaser.

More Helpful Links:
http://window.state.tx.us/
http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/

Now you can rest easy...

OPERATING AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

user@domain.com — 2011-07-01T14:21:51-05:00

Title 25 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §289.227(i) and 25 TAC §289.229 requires each registrant to have and implement written operating and safety procedures. The following Regulatory Guides can be used to help you develop procedures unique to your facility.

Choose the guide that addresses your type of facility. PDF and Word files are available

Regulatory Guide 4.3 - Healing Arts of Medicine, Podiatry and Chiropractic
Regulatory Guide 4.5 - Veterinary Medicine
Regulatory Guide 4.6 - Accelerators, Therapeutic Radiation Machines and Simulators

For registrants with an accelerator, LRS-35 will help you in providing the necessary shielding and room design information.

Now you can rest easy...

DIGITAL FAQ

user@domain.com — 2011-07-01T14:22:02-05:00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I upgrade my current x-ray system?
YES! - To upgrade an existing x-ray system to digital it should be a high frequency (Hfq) system. Most Hfq systems work very well with digital solutions. You can then go with CR or DR solutions.

What is DICOM?
DICOM (or Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is a standard developed by the American College of Radiology and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The standard was established to meet the needsof manufacturers and users of medical imaging equipment for the exchange of data on standard networks. Already accepted across all medical fields, DICOM simplifies the development for all types of medical imaging. “DICOM-compatibility” simply means that different users of different imaging devices will be able to smoothly exchange information. (More info at http://medical.nema.org)

What is a PACS system?
PACS (or Picture Archive and Communication Systems) is used by the radiology and diagnostic imaging industry to manage information and images electronically. The system is responsible for acquiring, transmitting, storing, retrieving, and displaying digital images and related patient information from a variety of imaging sources, and communicating the information over a network.

Do I need a PACS system?
This will depend on your clinic set-up. If you have a multi-doctor clinic with multiple viewing stations, it is best to have a PACS environment. Not only will the PACS help manage all of the patient files for the multiple doctors, it will also act as your image storage facility.

Do I need additional networking brought in my clinic and/or x-ray room?
You will need a network jack in your x-ray room for the “acquisition station” computer. This computer needs to be networked into the “Virtual Viewbox” workstation computer(s). This can be done as an independent connection that does not link in with any other networking or it can be linked in with an existing network. The main goal is for the two computers to communicate without interruption.

Please contact a Jones X-Ray Representative for more details.

JONES X-RAY RSS FEED

user@domain.com — 2012-02-25T14:11:59-06:00

“Get The Digital Facts” Before you Transistion to Digital X-Ray. You might find the information below useful as you make your decisions... We can help you make the right decisions based on your needs...

Please contact a Jones X-Ray Representative for more information.

Now you can rest easy...

YOUR DIGITAL OPTIONS

user@domain.com — 2012-02-25T14:11:49-06:00

THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPES OF DIGITAL CAPTURE AVAILABLE
The advent of digital imaging has created an overwhelming interest and many questions on the part of Practitioners. Just as with radiographic equipment, there are multiple choices in capturing digital images.

CR - COMPUTED RADIOGRAPHY - CR CASSETTES (LIKE FILM CASSETTES) ARE REQUIRED

CR - COMPUTED RADIOGRAPHY is very similar to the procedural method of film based radiography. The Image Receptor is a cassette with special Image Phosphors mounted inside. The cassette is positioned in the very same manner as conventional x-ray, either table top or table/wall bucky. During x-ray, the phosphors will capture x-ray photons that pass through the patient. The cassette with the phosphor plate (and recorded image) is then sent through the CR Reader. Inside the reader, a laser will energize the phosphors and they will release the photon energy. The energy emitted is captured by an analog digital converter (think scanner), and sent to the computer as a "digital radiograph".

CR is the least expensive method "to go digital" and for some time has been the preferred method for private practice physicians. The system simply replaces the processor, darkroom, and all of the costly consumables that are needed with conventional radiography. But wait… DR - DIRECT DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY is faster, better and cost are coming down!

DR - DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY - NO CASSETTES ARE REQUIRED

DR - Digital Radiography has typically been found in large Private Practice, Orthopedic and Hospital settings... DR is usually the most expensive method of "going digital" but it also affords the highest quality image because the x-ray photons are directly producing the image. In the Digital Flat Plate Technology, there is no medium as in CR with cassettes or CCD technology with the conversion of light energy. The DR plate is a series of horizontal and vertical wires that compose a matrix to receive x-ray photons after they pass through the patient. The plate is mounted either in the wall or under the table (or both) to receive the image. During x-ray, the photons will penetrate through the patient and gather in the small squares or pixels. The number of photons in the square determines the darkness of the pixel on the image. The digital raidograph appears on the monitor in less that 6 seconds.

The DR plates are expensive to make, and are frequently purchased as a single Image Receptor (in the table or wall holder). The Plate is usually tethered to a cord that is connected to the computer and must be moved from the table bucky to the wall bucky for upright imaging. Some have considered this the weakest link in Digital Flat Plate Technology. Today, manufactures are receiving FDA clearance for wireless transmission which will eliminate the cord.

CLEARLY THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES TO DIGITAL IMAGING

The advent of digital imaging has created an overwhelming interest and many questions on the part of Practitioners. Just as with radiographic equipment, there are multiple choices in capturing digital images. For most, the ability to manipulate and share the image electronically along with elimination of the darkroom, processor, film, chemical and maintenance are on the top of the list of reasons to consider digital imaging. Digital imaging is quickly taking hold in the Medical, Chiropractic and Veterinary markets as costs have declined.

Digital radiology represents the greatest technological advancement in medical imaging over the last decade. The use of radiographic films in x ray imaging might become obsolete in a few years. An appropriate analogy that is easy to understand is the replacement of typical film cameras with digital cameras. Images can be immediately acquired, deleted, modified, and subsequently sent to a network of computers.

The benefits from digital radiology are enormous. It can make a radiological facility or department film-less. The referring physician can view the requested image on a desktop, laptop, tablet or a smart phone and often report in just a few minutes after the examination was performed. The images are no longer held in a single location; but can be seen simultaneously by physicians who are miles apart. In addition, the patient can have the x ray images on a compact disk to take to another physician or hospital.

Contact Sales for more information

_____________________________________________________________________

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR TRANSITION TO DIGITAL
What does film actually cost me?

MORE DIGITAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE IAEA:

International Atomic Energy Agency