A new 2D and 3D imaging approach to musculo-skeletal physiology and pathology with low-dose radiation and the standing position : the EOS system

Close collaboration between multidisciplinary specialists (physicists, biomecanical engineers, medical radiologists and pediatric orthopedic surgeons) has led to the development of a new low-dose radiation device named EOS. EOS has three main advantages: -The use of a gaseous X-ray detector, invented by Georges Charpak (Nobel Prizewinner 1992), the dose necessary to obtain a 2D image of the skeletal system has been reduced by 8 to 10 times, while that required to obtain a 3D reconstruction from CT slices has fallen by a factor of 800 to 1000. - The accuracy of the 3D reconstruction obtained with EOS is as good as that obtained with CT - The patient is examined in the standing (or seated) position, and is scanned simultaneously from head to feet, both frontally and laterally. This is a major advantage over conventional CT which requires the patient to be placed horizontally. -The 3D reconstructions of each element of the osteo-articular system are as precise as those obtained by conventional CT EOS is also rapid, taking only 15 to 30 minutes to image the entire spine.