X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SYSTEM FOR THYROID DIAGNOSIS

THE PERFORMANCES OF RADIOISOTPE IMAGING, X-RAY FLUORESCENCE IMAGING (XRF), AND UPTAKE MEASUREMENT, OF THE THYROID BY ONE AND THE SAME DEVICE. RADIOISOTOPE IMAGING IS CURRENTLY PERFORMED ON GAMMA CAMERAS WHICH ARE DESIGNED FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED STUDIES AND ARE RETAILING AT PRICES ABOVE OF $200,000. UPTAKE MEASUREMENTS ARE PERFORMED ON UPTAKE UNITSWHICH COST AN ADDITIONAL $15,000. XRF, A DIAGNOSTICALLY VERY USEFUL COMPLEMENT TO THE OTHER TWO PROCEDURES, CANNOT BE PERFORMED ON ANY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DEVICES. WE WILLINTEGRATE THE XRF PROCEDURE INTO THE POLYSCAN SYSTEM, A COST-EFFICIENT DEVICE FOR RADIOISOTOPE IMAGING AND UPTAKE MEASUREMENT OF THE THYROID. THE DEVICE INTEGRATING ALL THREE PROCEDURES WILL RETAIL FOR LESS THAN $100,000-SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE COST OF A GAMMA CAMERA PLUSAN UPTAKE PROBE. THE COMBINATION OF THE THREE PROCEDURES COULD, THEREFORE, PROVIDE GREATER COST EFFICIENCY, BETTER UTILIZATION OF SPACE, AND A POWERFUL NEW TOOL IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID ABNORMALITIES. THE PERFORMANCES OF RADIOISOTPE IMAGING, X-RAY FLUORESCENCE IMAGING (XRF), AND UPTAKE MEASUREMENT, OF THE THYROID BY ONE AND THE SAME DEVICE. RADIOISOTOPE IMAGING IS CURRENTLY PERFORMED ON GAMMA CAMERAS WHICH ARE DESIGNED FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED STUDIES AND ARE RETAILING AT PRICES ABOVE OF $200,000. UPTAKE MEASUREMENTS ARE PERFORMED ON UPTAKE UNITSWHICH COST AN ADDITIONAL $15,000. XRF, A DIAGNOSTICALLY VERY USEFUL COMPLEMENT TO THE OTHER TWO PROCEDURES, CANNOT BE PERFORMED ON ANY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DEVICES. WE WILLINTEGRATE THE XRF PROCEDURE INTO THE POLYSCAN SYSTEM, A COST-EFFICIENT DEVICE FOR RADIOISOTOPE IMAGING AND UPTAKE MEASUREMENT OF THE THYROID. THE DEVICE INTEGRATING ALL THREE PROCEDURES WILL RETAIL FOR LESS THAN $100,000-SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE COST OF A GAMMA CAMERA PLUSAN UPTAKE PROBE. THE COMBINATION OF THE THREE PROCEDURES COULD, THEREFORE, PROVIDE GREATER COST EFFICIENCY, BETTER UTILIZATION OF SPACE, AND A POWERFUL NEW TOOL IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID ABNORMALITIES.