Do I Need a C-Arm or a Cath Lab?
Kenn Dextrom: May 2, 2024
We'll be honest- most of the conversations we have with buyers about cath lab equipment revolve around Philips and GE systems. There is, however, plenty of room to discuss systems from a third player in the market: Siemens. This is especially true in light of some of the compelling features Siemens has brought to their cath line with their current generation of equipment.
While Siemens labs are not as popular when it comes to reinstallation here in the US, they are still quality systems that merit consideration. With that in mind, here's an overview of the systems offered by Siemens in the time since the Artis Zee.
Artis One
Artis One was introduced to the market in 2014. It is a floor-mounted system that features a 26 x 30 cm detector. Specified for general cardiac and vascular work, this unit has a smaller generator (80kW) and a lower rated tube (4.9 MHU, dual focal spot) than its high-volume counterparts. It also has a single 30” display with selectable layouts on the monitor suspension and a somewhat limited range of gantry movement.
The Artis One certainly has its limitations, but in the setting it's designed for, it's a sensible option. This is a nice little unit for a smaller site focusing on bread-and-butter cardiac and vascular studies.
Artis Q
Introduced in 2013, these units utilize the newer 16-bit HDR detector, which allows better images at lower levels of radiation. The system also uses the Siemens Gigalix tube with flat emitter technology. The Gigalix is designed for high-contrast images with low dose. This combination is said to allow much better visibility of small vessels.
The Artis Q is available in ceiling mount, floor mount, and biplane configurations with 2 detector sizes. With this many configurations, the Artis Q can be setup to accommodate any specialty.
Artis Q.zen
In 2014, Siemens dropped the Artis Q.zen. Q.zen is a full-featured system with flexible surgical table options from Maquet and Trumpf. And the flexibility doesn't stop there- the single plane unit has the largest arm depth of any Siemens unit at 37”.
The Q Zen builds off the Q line by adding a crystalline silicon detector. The detector touts ultra-low dose imaging and increased image quality. As with the Artis Q before it, ceiling, floor and biplane configurations are available.
Artis Zeego
Siemens first entry into robotic arm cath labs, the Zeego was introduced in 2008. It's single-plane, floor-mounted, and full-featured. The Robotic arm offers extensive positioning flexibility and can also move away from the table into a park position, granting 360-degree access to the patient. A bonus: the mobility of the arm makes access easy for service personnel too!
Siemens improved upon the Zeego later, introducing a variant with the same crystalline silicon detector technology as the Q.zen. The robotic arm and advanced detector of this later Zeego pack a compelling one-two punch of flexibility and dose reduction.
Artis Pheno
In 2017, Siemens built on the robotic arm of the Zeego system with the Artis Pheno. The positioning flexibility of the Zeego is combined with the largest C-arm size in the Siemens line, full 360-degree rotation, the largest angulation, and the largest SID distance. The Artis Pheno takes another flexibility cue from the Q.zen with Maquet and Trumpf surgical table options.
In a nutshell, the Artis Pheno is the most fully-featured Siemens cath lab, ever. Mobility and size in the robotic arm, low dose and high image quality in the detector, articulation in the table, and intuitive software features via Siemens' Syngo platform all come together in a single system.
The Takeaway
If the ubiquity of GE and Philips cath labs has kept you from looking into Siemens' equipment, it's worth knowing that a third option, one that brings some unique options to the table, is out there.
Presently, most of the systems discussed here are too new to be found readily on the secondary market, but the tech they bring makes them worth keeping an eye out for. If you need a solution sooner, our team can help with GE and Philips labs, or systems from Siemens' Axiom Artis line. Use the button below to inquire, or contact us directly at 517-688-8800.
