Initial Clinical Results of Konica Minolta Healthc

WAYNE, N.J., May 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., announced that two clinical studies utilizing Dynamic Digital Radiography (DDR), the company’s innovative X-ray technology under development, were presented at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2018 Annual Meeting this week. Dynamic Digital Radiography is a new modality that utilizes conventional X-ray images and Konica Minolta's proprietary software platform to create X-ray in Motion. DDR is the most significant advancement in X-ray since digital radiography was introduced.

X-ray in Motion of the chest provides a visual display of the dynamic interactions of lung, muscle, bone, heart and nerve, not captured by either a conventional static X-ray or the common pulmonary function test (PFT). This allows clinicians to visualize and quantify physiological changes in anatomical structures during the complete respiratory cycle.  Previously, respiration could only be radiologically assessed using fluoroscopy, which involves higher levels of radiation exposure. X-ray in Motion may better enable clinicians to evaluate chest and lung function in patients with pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung cancer. 

At the ATS meeting, the study, A New Technology: The Dynamic Image of a Forced Breath Compared to a Tidal Breath Uncovers a Physiological Phenomenon in COPD, was presented, demonstrating a correlation to the severity of COPD and diaphragm excursion during forced and tidal breathing using DDR. The research concluded that DDR may be a clinically relevant option to assess COPD severity in the acute setting and for patients unable to perform PFTs. This study was conducted by the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, and Department of Radiology from Mount Sinai (New York, NY).

The research study, Evaluation of Pulmonary Function Using Dynamic Chest Radiographs: The Change Rate in Lung Area Due to Respiratory Motion Reflects Air Trapping in COPD, was also presented. The researchers investigated DDR as an alternative for the evaluation of pulmonary function in COPD patients by examining the change rate in lung area due to respiratory motion in patients with COPD and in subjects with normal pulmonary function. The study found that DDR is a viable alternative indicator for air trapping in COPD. Air trapping is the abnormal retention of air in the lungs making it difficult to exhale completely. This study was performed by the Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Thoracic, Cardiovascular and General Surgery, and College of Medical, Pharmaceutical & Health Sciences at Kanazawa University (Kanazawa, Japan).

Digital Radiography, or X-ray, is a primary diagnostic technology that is widely available throughout the world. Konica Minolta is investing in the development new clinical applications and tools for existing technology, such as digital radiography, that can deliver more information to clinicians than previously attainable while supporting the reduction of healthcare expenditures. Using readily available X-ray systems, DDR can provide incremental value for diagnosis, ongoing disease management, preoperative planning and post-operative assessment, without subjecting the patient to multiple and often more expensive tests.

Dynamic Digital Radiography represents ongoing research and development at Konica Minolta. It is not cleared by the FDA for commercial distribution or available for sale in the United States. 

About Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc.

Konica Minolta Healthcare is a world-class provider and market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and healthcare information technology. With over 75 years of endless innovation, Konica Minolta is globally recognized as a leader providing cutting-edge technologies and comprehensive support aimed at providing real solutions to meet customer's needs and helping make better decisions sooner. Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is a unit of Konica Minolta, Inc. (TSE: 4902 ). For more information on Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., please visit www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa .

Contact: Mary Beth Massat                                                                                                                    Massat Media 224.578.2388 www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa