Portable diagnostic X-ray unit allows for sideline evaluation of football injuries

In response to the commitment made by NFL and collegiate football programs to provide better injury evaluation and medical care on the sideline, MinXray Inc., a key global supplier of portable, compact digital imaging equipment, has introduced Impact, its new completely battery-powered, portable digital radiography (DR) system, to the football marketplace. The system provides superior diagnostic imaging capabilities for modern sports medicine on the sideline or even the playing field.

“With sports medicine’s overall greater focus on player safety, especially in the competitive football market, this product makes sense. Our technology is already in place at the university level and we see this market growing in the future,” said Jeanne Walter, director of marketing and sales at MinXray.

While the focus on rapid concussion care is important because of its effects on the brain — knee, ankle and shoulder injuries also benefit from quick care. Leading experts in sports medicine and orthopedics cited in Injuries and Health Problems in Football indicate that when a shoulder dislocation occurs and is confirmed, it is much easier to reduce, or manipulate, the shoulder back into place in the first few minutes after dislocation to avoid intense pain and muscle spasms. Therefore, an immediate X-ray to confirm diagnosis and rule out fracture can reduce time to return the shoulder to its normal position.

“The addition of the Impact to any sports medicine program will expedite and increase diagnostic capabilities, as it’s the only battery-powered X-ray unit available that is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certified for full-body imaging,” said Walter.

The Impact unit is ultra-portable when it is handheld, or on an accompanying rolling stand that can be easily wheeled over to an injured athlete for quick identification and review of injuries. With hotspot access, digital images can be sent by medical staff to locker room or off-site radiologists in seconds for their immediate review. Expediting access to these diagnostic resources not only ensures timely medical care, but can also help in getting sports medicine patients, if cleared, back onto the field of play more efficiently than ever before.

MinXray’s Impact DR System includes:

• Single, portable package.
• 14″ x 17″ Wireless Cesium Iodide Digital Detector in carbon-fiber housing.
• TR90BH portable battery-powered X-ray unit.
• Tablet or laptop loaded with DICOM 3.0 compliant imaging software.

Learn more about MinXray’s flexible, portable and durable imaging solutions for athletes.