Villa Apollo
The remote-controlled table
Apollo is Villa's remote-controlled table that allows you to get the best from the R/F room, offering a range of fast and accurate movements that ensure an extraordinary application capability of the system, thus reducing examination preparation times and improving patient comfort. Tilting by 90° in both directions makes it possible to install the remote-controlled table in the most diverse configurations of the diagnostic room, allowing top results to be obtained in any environment. By means of motorised tilting of the tube support column, combined with the rotation of the X-ray source, oblique projections can also be carried out on the table as well as patient exposures on a stretcher. Furthermore, the focus-film distance, which can be extended up to 180 cm, makes it possible to examine the chest directly on the remote-controlled table. The adjustable height from the floor and the completely smooth surface of the examination table make patient access easier and simplify transfer procedures from the stretcher. In addition, the sturdy and reliable mechanical structure has a maximum capacity of 284 kg, with no movement restrictions, thus also making it possible to examine bariatric patients.
Features
1. Wide Touchscreen Interface
The operator can simply and intuitively control the entire system through the wide touch screen interface, where the information on the table position and operating mode are instantly displayed. The new smart-touch joysticks, made with touch-sensitive material, ensure that table movements are only activated intentionally and constitute, together with the updated software control infrastructure, a set of elements designed to allow the equipment to be used in complete safety.
2. Two-way Intercom System
The operator is able to communicate with the patient to provide instructions and reassurance during the examination via the built-in two-way intercom, which is supported by pre-recordable messages in several languages.
3. Video Camera
Through the video camera built into the collimator, which displays the image of the patient in real time on the console, the operator can perform centring operation without X-ray emissions. However, should it be required to stay close to the patient when preparing the examination, the operator can start the remote controlled table movements through the control panel on the table side or through the optional touch screen collimator, or via an additional control panel on a trolley.
4. Innovation and safety
Special attention is given to patient’s dose reduction, by employing several provisions, such as low-absorption tabletop materials (plastic or carbon fibre), reduced skin-to-film-distance, automatic collimation, fully automatic parameter settings in both fluoroscopy and exposure (zero-point technique). Four sides open access and one of the industry’s lowest tabletop height will ease patient loading operations, as well as procedures requiring support personnel to operate in the table area.
5. Increased workflow
The wide movement of the tube/spot film assembly allows total patient exploration without having to move the tabletop longitudinally, thereby ensuring faster positioning and greater comfort for the patient. The spot film device, compatible with numerous formats of radiographic cassettes, makes the preparation of the examination simple and fast through the automatic cassette loading and alignment mechanism, thus allowing multiple images to be acquired in succession on the same film through the line and cross divisions. The TV chain with image intensifier and CCD camera can always capture images at the highest levels, thanks to the automatic control of the exposure parameters based on the density of the examined area and the algorithms for noise and motion artefacts reduction. All table movements can also be activated via the tableside keypad to improve efficiency during the patient preparation phase.
6. Wide scope of application
Apollo maximizes the flexibility of the remote-controlled RF approach. Skeletal, gastro-intestinal, tomography, vascular, ERCP are performed easily and quickly. Chest exams are also possible thanks to the continuously adjustable Source to Image Distance, which can arrive of up to 180 cm, depending on the specific Apollo version. Extremities can easily be executed with the patient standing only a few centimetres above the floor. Fully electronic bi-directional tomography without connection bar, can be performed on film or in digital mode and in any position of the table. The system can be supplied with a wide range of accessories, useful for patient positioning and for special procedures, such as lateral cassette holder, compression band, radiopaque ruler, contrast medium cup holder, disposable bed sheet holder, shoulder support, patient footrest, leg support and handles.
7. Apollo with DIVA-HDE system
The Apollo remote controlled tables are also available with DIVA-HDE digital acquisition systems, based on Image Intensifiers, featuring a 1K x 1K, 12-bit camera and up to 25 frames per second acquisition speed in fluoroscopy. Full DICOM connectivity is assured for seamless integration into your PACS network, as Diva-D and Diva-HDE support the most common DICOM 3 operation classes (Print, Store, Worklist).
8. Apollo Open
The Open configuration of Apollo allows a total access to the patient from any side of the tabletop in a fast, comfortable and safe way. This complete accessibility also allows the operator to perform any interventional procedure that might become necessary, without any limitation; the operator has therefore the possibility to act rapidly and effectively. The carbon fibre tabletop allows a maximum patient load of 230 kg (507 lbs.) without limitations in movement, allowing access to bariatric patients.
9. Apollo DR-Wi
The innovative “DR-Wi” version of Apollo is designed to get the most out of the combined use of the wireless Flat Panel and the analogue remote-controlled table with appropriately optimised functions. This solution reduces work times and further improves the quality of the images compared with the use of Computed Radiography systems or with cassette-film combinations, while reducing the dose delivered to the patient. The significant functional versatility of the “DR-Wi” version is given by the focus-detector distance variable up to 180 cm, and by the large 43×43 cm format of the wireless detector, which adequately covers all anatomical regions and allows chest projections to be made directly on the table. Furthermore, the wide flexibility in positioning the X-ray source is functional in performing direct contact and off-table exposures with the Wi-Fi detector. The workflow is simplified even more by the availability of the “Multi-Grid” system, which automatically selects the most suitable anti-scatter grid based on the focus-detector distance set. Should grid use not be required, such as when examining paediatric patients or extremities, the system automatically parks the grid outside the X-ray field, thus resulting in a reduction in the dose delivered. Particular importance has been given to the integration of the automatic “Stitching” procedure, which consists in the automatic acquisition process of a set of X-ray exposures and their subsequent union into a single image, thereby supporting investigation of extensive body areas, such as full-leg and full-spine examinations. All this makes the Apollo DR-Wi a truly multifunctional system, as it combines in a single device all of the applications usually performed with analogue remote-controlled tables, conventional radiographic rooms, large format chest stands and CR systems.
