Nomad proves safe for general use

An independent study1 presented at the 41st Annual Conference on Radiation Control in Orem, Utah in June concluded that the Nomad handheld dental x-ray system produces staff radiation exposure doses so low that the vast majority of users received no measurable radiation dose. This conclusion contradicts the common misconception that operator exposure would be higher with a handheld x-ray system.

The study also found that the image resolution and contrast of the Nomad were superior to the wall-mounted system tested and the leakage and scattered radiation were lower. In addition, the study reported that additional operator protection measures, such as the use of lead aprons or stands, are not warranted. According to the study, this is largely due to improved shielding techniques incorporated into the Nomad.

The easy-to-use Nomad portable x-ray unit from Aribex in the USA has been available in Australia exclusively through Inline Medical and Dental for over 3 years. Aribex's creativity and technology has been recognised through two U.S. patents and the Nomad products are recognised in the industry for their durability, quality and most recently superior safety characteristics.

The recently launched Nomad Pro builds on the heritage of the award-winning Nomad X-ray system being lighter with an enhanced user interface and exposure settings that can be preprogrammed and saved. Nomad and Nomad Pro are designed for general purpose dental use and are ideal for use with children, sedated patients, or special needs patients. The technician remains next to the patient, positions the device and simply takes the radiograph.

The Nomad has three main advantages over traditional x-ray systems according to Mike Harman of Inline Medical and Dental. "Any dental practice with three to five wall-mounted machines could do the same job with one or two Nomads," he said. "The dentist can also stay in the room with the patient rather than leaving to take the radiograph which can avoid retakes. By staying there, the dentist can make sure the patient stays in the right position. The third advantage, allows x-rays to be taken in nursing homes, hospitals or other places where it is hard to move patients. The Nomad is completely versatile and can easily be used in the office and then taken to any location for treatment at the point-of-care."

Aribex's patented Nomad design protects the central concept of having all components of the x-ray systems in the same enclosure. "No one had ever made a handheld intraoral x-ray with the power source in the same enclosure as the x-ray head," said Dr D. Clark Turner, President and CEO of Aribex. "We opened up a new category when we created the Nomad. We are glad to have our creativity and our technology recognized and protected in this manner."

All Nomad products are cordless, re-chargeable, true DC, lightweight, require no installation and are simple to use. Nomad's true portability doesn't compromise the diagnostic quality of the x-ray images, it's economical in the office and because it doesn't require direct connection to an AC outlet, it has been widely used for humanitarian work in some of the most remote areas of the world.

Reference

1. Bailey E., Gray J., Ludlow J. Image quality and radiation dose comparison for intraoral radiography: Hand-held, battery powered versus conventional x-ray systems. Paper presented at 41st Annual Conference on Radiation Control, Columbus, Ohio, 2009.

For more info, call Inline Medical and Dental see www.inline.com.au