A robotic-controlled CT imaging system has been developed to aid diagnosis of horses.
The device, created by Pennsylvania’s veterinary school, the New Bolton Center, is designed for use in standing and moving horses.
Existing CT systems usually require the horse to be anesthetised and are limited to the parts of the animal that fit into the cylindrical machines.
However, the mobile Equimagine system can scan a horse when it is awake, load-bearing, or moving.
It can be used on any part of the horse and scans in less then a minute.
“We can see many parts of the anatomy we’ve never seen before and do it in a patient that is awake,” said Dr Barbara Dallap Schaer, medical director of the New Bolton Center.
“The possibilities are almost unlimited in terms of the conditions that can be addressed with this system.”
The device was released in February.
Dr Dean Richardson of the New Bolton Center is providing surgical expertise for the further refinement of the system.
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“The goal in veterinary and human medicine is to provide less invasive and more precise surgical procedures,” he said.
“We have a lot to learn about this technology. Three-dimensional imaging opens new doors to diagnosis and treatments. We are very excited to be on the forefront of those discoveries.”
Dr Richardson said the system will be important not only for use in the hospital, but also for research and teaching.