FDA Clears New C-arm System Technology, Cios Alpha from Siemens

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Siemens’ Cios Alpha, a more powerful, improved mobile C-arm system.

The system offers new technology tailored to boost operational workflow. The flat-panel detector includes a power output of 25 kilowatts, making it one of the most powerful mobile systems available. The Cios Alpha also contains a compact design, field of view (FoV) up to 25 percent larger than conventional C-arm systems, a touch screen interface, position storage feature, and an active cooling system, which helps to ensure high quality images during prolonged interventions.

The 30 cm × 30 cm detector can cover the finest structures, a particular benefit in minimally invasive surgery.  The Cios Alpha improves upon the conventional FoV parameters offered by existing C-arm systems. When the surgeon rotates the square image, the system’s new collimators follow automatically, tracking image rotation to assist that the monitors always display the maximum field of view and shielding the patient and clinician from unnecessary radiation.

The system can be operated on three identical touch screens, the C-arm, the mobile work-station and the table-side control. The touch screens provide the surgeon full control of the equipment. A small image preview integrated into the touch screens allows operating staff members access to viewing the image previews on any of the touch screen interfaces, providing greater visibility. This also allows for easy storage and retrieval of C-arm positions, eliminating the need to reposition manually.

“With imaging technology that helps overcome disruption and reduce inefficiency in the OR, the new Cios Alpha mobile C-arm will aid surgical teams in maximizing productivity and fostering a higher quality of patient care across multiple disciplines,” Laurie Fisher, vice president, X-Ray products, Siemens Healthcare, said in a release. “Siemens has engineered the Cios Alpha to deliver the highest-quality images at the lowest possible dose during surgery as well as perform seamlessly during even prolonged operations. This new C-arm system is ideal for a wide range of surgical procedures, including vascular, orthopedic and urological.”