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When your hospital or medical facility is choosing one or more digital x-ray machines, the options and features can be overwhelming. There are three types of x-ray machines you should consider for your facility to allow for the most versatility in imaging.

Adjustable Arm

Whether your facility can only have one digital x-ray machine, which may be the case at a doctor's office, or you want multiple machines like those located in a hospital, an x-ray machine with an adjustable arm is critical for imaging flexibility. These machines may not have a table, which can help for small imaging rooms. The patient can sit or stand during the x-ray and the arm can be adjusted to virtually any position to improve the quality of the images. Arms should be designed to be as lightweight as possible for easy maneuvering and to minimize strain or injury to the x-ray technician. An adjustable arm is also ideal for face x-rays, which tend to be more intricate and sensitive to positioning.

Adjustable Table

Every hospital and outpatient medical facility needs a digital x-ray machine with a table. When you are choosing among table designs, there will be specific features you want to incorporate. Motorized tables are ideal because they take the burden off x-ray technicians so they can position virtually any patient on their own. Weight capacity will be another concern, especially since there will be instances when you may need to perform x-rays on people who are quite large. The higher the weight capacity you select, the more versatile the machine will be. An open table design is better to maximize space around the table. This is critical for people that must be transferred from a gurney or wheelchair onto the table. During transfers, there are multiple people helping, which requires additional space around the table. Some tables are also considered "smart," meaning they can adjust themselves to the appropriate position based on which body part will be imaged.

Portable X-Ray Machine

A portable digital x-ray machine can be a good fit for a doctor's office or as an additional machine in hospitals and outpatient facilities. Portable x-ray machines are especially helpful in the emergency room. In trauma situations, there may be multiple procedures going on simultaneously, such as intubation, imaging, and defibrillation. Patients with broken bones won't need to be moved to the x-ray room, which can reduce pain and the risk of additional destabilization of the break. Additionally, many broken bones can be set using a portable x-ray machine. This allows specialists to take numerous x-rays as they make subtle movements when aligning the bone. A portable x-ray frees up the x-ray room for more urgent cases, minimizing a potential backlog of patients that need imaging. Ideally, you will choose an option that is as compact as you can find. In urgent situations, there are usually many people in the room and you want the machine to not affect accessibility to the patient.

There are several types of digital x-ray machines available, and each one has its unique advantages. In the hospital setting, it is ideal to have access to each type of x-ray machine for the ease of imaging in any situation. To learn more, contact a company like VXS Imaging.