Fujifilm launches upgradable CR at SIIM

A new computed radiography reader from Fujifilm Medical Systems USA can be field upgraded to double its capacity. The XG2000 comes with two active slots for feeding phosphor plates and another two that can be activated with a simple hardware and software upgrade.

The midtier product, essentially a deconfigured version of the company's high-end XG 5000, was introduced June 7 at the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine meeting. The reader addresses a sweet spot populated by small hospitals and digital imaging centers in the emerging marketplace for CR.

The product is designed to provide the flexibility of handling current needs while preserving the option to expand capacity to meet future ones, said John Strauss, Fujifilm director of marketing imaging systems. Its development was prompted by uncertainties expressed by first-time prospective buyers of CR, particularly those in small hospitals and imaging clinics.

"A lot of these people thought the XG5000 might be overkill and were not sure that a single-plate or even a dual single-plate CR would satisfy their need," Strauss said. "This was our response to give them the flexibility they were looking for."

The system, which appeared as a commercial product for the first time at the SIIM meeting, has begun shipping.

The XG2000 and XG5000, its four-slot upgrade, feature a turbo mode called FastScan that can boost the speed of the unit by 18%, according to the company. In this mode, the reader can process hourly 122 imaging plates measuring 14 x 17 inches. Image preview is available 11 seconds after inserting the cassette.