Software Integration
Atomlab™ + ec2 Software Solutions… now that’s easy
Software Integration
Atomlab™ + ec2 Software Solutions… now that’s easy
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| Brett Whittacre Vice President, ec2 Software Solutions |
It’s All Here… Greater Accuracy, Speed, Integration and Real-Time Inventory!
Brett Whittacre, Vice President of ec2 Software Solutions, a leading provider of nuclear medicine management systems, discusses some of the important objectives of a busy pharmacy and how the Atomlab Dose Calibrator helps hospitals and labs meet their goals.
Q. I understand you were involved in the development
of the Atomlab Dose Calibrators? In reference to the
communication protocol, what can you tell us about this?
A. I worked with Biodex on the communication protocol between the Atomlab and ec2 software to increase efficiency and time savings with each dose. I have had the opportunity to really get to know this product and I can honestly say my colleagues and I have found the Atomlab Dose Calibrator to be the most simple, efficient and quickest of dose calibrators to work with. It is also the easiest one to implement.
Q. Does the calibrator interface with all ec2 Software Solutions?
A. More and more nuclear medicine departments have gone electronic and are turning to hot lab management in their pharmacies, hospitals and other nuclear medicine facilities. Using a state-of-the-art system provides greater accuracy, increases speed and offers real-time inventory. Atomlab interfaces with all of our hot lab management and pharmacy solutions while storing readily accessible records for inspectors. It is also one of a few dose calibrators to transmit to a computer.
Q. How easy is it to interface with the Atomlab Dose Calibrator?
A. We found this is very simple to accomplish. The customer service and technical support we receive from Biodex is excellent. Biodex publishes the communication protocol in the index of the Atomlab Dose Calibrator manuals. If you have computer skills you can do it yourself or if you need one-on-one help, the Biodex technical assistance department can provide this information at no-charge to hook-up to the RS-232 serial communication port.
Q. When interfaced to your software how much time can a nuclear pharmacy save in a day? How about a nuclear medicine department?
A. Depending on the style of the pharmacy, there will be different time savings. We saw substantial gains; speed gains with the interface and dose measurement. In my opinion, if you run a commercial nuclear pharmacy, you will see significant time savings over the course of an entire day.
Q. What functions can the NMIS and BioRx systems control on the Atomlab 500?
A. We have a great deal of control with the Atomlab. NMIS can include wipes and BioRx can do constancy, real-time isotope activity and future-dose. The Atomlab™ 500Plus or wipe test counter performs the wipe test; the data can be stored and transferred to the NMIS or BioRx software. We also have the ability to do automatic linearity with the dose calibrator.
Q. When the QA data is transferred from the Atomlab 500 and Wipe Test Counter to an ec2 management system where is it stored for an inspector to review?
A. The combination of the Atomlab™ 500Plus and ec2’s software have the capability to store information in a database indefinitely. The data is stored as reports in the management system’s software. With NMIS there is a QA folder – all of the folders, files and databases are readily available. No more flipping through hard files or notebooks filled with paperwork; it is all right there on the system.
Q. How does the large activity range of the Atomlab 500 help?
A. Because the Atomlab Dose Calibrators can read up to 100 curies of Tc-99m, we can assay an entire elution from the generator in one measurement, thereby eliminating the need for an aliquot preparation. There is an exposure savings, along with an accuracy gain.
Biodex Medical Systems