Atirix QC-Track^® Compression Thickness Worksheet Template Now Available for Hologic Dimension FAST Mode

January 10, 2024 (MINNEAPOLIS) – This notice is for clients with newer Hologic 3D/2D systems that support “FAST Mode”.

Per Hologic, sites with FAST Mode are required to use an additional Compression Thickness Worksheet when it is active. Hologic has recently begun to notify sites of this requirement.

Atirix now offers the FAST Mode Compression Thickness worksheet for QC-Track^®. This new template is available at no charge for clients.

If you have been notified by Hologic on the FAST mode requirement, or if you have any questions on this, please contact Atirix Support for the new worksheet template by emailing Support@atirix.com.

If you have not been notified by Hologic, and your Dimensions units are not using FAST Mode, then there is nothing you need to do.
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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Atirix announces QC-Track^® 5.15 release

April 14, 2023 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces the release of QC-Track 5.15, featuring major enhancements to the Nuclear Medicine module and improvements to email notifications, including a new reminder email for daily QC not yet completed.

The primary additions to the Nuclear Medicine module are new phantom calculations which support NEMA uniformity and automated center of rotation (COR) testing within QC-Track.

“The ability to perform image processing for these tests within QC-Track instead of relying on the device’s internal check will allow QC to be performed consistently across manufacturers” says Angela Snyder, PhD. “These changes will also streamline SPECT QC by providing a central platform for the full suite of recommended tests”.

Additionally, DICOM processing for nested tags has been enhanced, which improves PET and SPECT image calculations.

Accompanying the Nuclear Medicine updates are improvements to QC-Track’s email notifications. A new email type has been added for all modalities to alert users when a daily QC test has not been completed by a certain time of day. Furthermore, FDA EQUIP image quality feedback emails to the technologist have been updated to include more information about the feedback, such as the overall assessment.

Updated technical specifications and complete release notes are available from the Client Center. Contact support@atirix.com with questions or to schedule an upgrade.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics, and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Atirix participates in fluoroscopy quality control research published in AAPM Medical Physics

May 26, 2022 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces that research from AAPM Task Group 272, which includes members from Atirix, has been published in the International Journal of Medical Physics Research and Practice.

Acceptance testing and ongoing equipment testing for fluoroscopes is subjective and time consuming. This research, titled “Comprehensive acceptance testing and evaluation of fluoroscopy imaging systems” describes and clarifies both required and recommended tests for different kinds of fluoroscopes. The report also contains useful resources such as an example report form.

The Atirix team in conjunction with other Task Group 272 members evaluated different metrics for assessing image quality using dynamic live images and phantom comparison. “Our goal was to distill the most important measures of image quality for fluoroscopy,” explained Angela Snyder PhD, Atirix VP of Advanced Solutions. “Medical physicists can then use these metrics to assess machine performance with minimal expenditure of time and phantom cost”.

By clarifying best practices for fluoroscopy quality control, Task Group 272’s report will help make acceptance and ongoing testing a more streamlined process for medical physicists, saving healthcare systems time and money and ultimately improving image quality.

The paper is available on the AAPM website as part of the April 2022 issue of Medical Physics. It is also available by request from Atirix Medical Systems.

If you are interested in using QC-Track for research and data collection, please contact research@atirix.com.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Atirix announces QC-Track^® 5.14 release

January 21, 2022 (MINNEAPOLIS) - Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces the release of QC-Track 5.14 featuring a new module for diagnostic displays QC, improvements to the Credential tracking module, and enhanced enterprise capabilities including support for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) security.

The new QC-Track Displays module manages QC data for fleets of reading displays and their associated workstations. Quality control test results, device self-check information, display/workstation associations, and other data can be entered by QC staff or brought in automatically via the QC-Connector™ interface from the display vendor’s cloud system. A download workflow is currently available for ongoing sweeps of display QC data from the EIZO RadiNET cloud, and both CSV and JSON file formats are supported.

Several features facilitate display management throughout the display lifecycle, from initial commissioning and testing through ongoing use and eventual decommissioning. Prior to testing, emails notify the reading group, including those with in-home workstations, to ensure workstations are on and available to be tested. After the testing period and data sweep, additional email notifications alert managers of any missed or failed tests. Finally, three new display-specific reports organize the display QC data for inspections and fleet management, including physicist review and sign off.

The Displays module accommodates mixed fleets of mammography and non-mammography displays, accounting for MQSA-specific QC and reporting needs.

"The Displays module really completes the chain of quality control," explained Angela Snyder, PhD, VP Advanced Solutions. "QC isnt just for the imaging unit. If you want to provide the highest quality imaging, then you need to be thinking about QC from the detector all the way through to the pixels on the reading monitor."

QC-Track 5.14 also includes improvements to the Credentials module.  For healthcare systems managing imaging credentials, including those with large numbers of clinical professionals, a new credential workflow greatly expedites credential setup.  In addition, the Credential Administrator capability now includes credential email management improvements to help streamline ongoing administration.

“As regulators continue to increase requirements for ongoing credential management, and healthcare systems face unprecedented staff turnover, credential management becomes progressively more difficult. It's no surprise that reviewing staff credential management has been a priority for inspectors,” said Rania Johnson R.T. (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services. “The improvements to our credential tracking module help accelerate implementation and make workflows more efficient, helping our clients to navigate this new landscape and be more confident at inspection time.”

QC-Track 5.14 introduces further capabilities for enterprise deployments in large healthcare systems, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) security compliance and improvements to Windows single sign-on functionality.

Updated technical specifications and complete release notes are available from the Client Center. Contact support@atirix.com with questions or to schedule an upgrade.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Research using QC-Track ^® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine published in JACMP

November 29, 2020 (Minneapolis) - Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that research using QC-Track^® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine has been published in the Journal of Applied Clinical and Medical Physics (JACMP).

This research, titled “Automated phantom analysis for gamma cameras and SPECT: A methodology for use in a clinical setting,” demonstrated that QC-Track’s Automated Phantom Analysis module can be used to quantitatively analyze image quality and resolution of gamma cameras as part of an institution’s routine QC process. The QC-Track module processes the Jasczak and bar phantoms commonly used in nuclear medical quality control and reliably returns results that are consistent with human analysis and have greater resolution.

“We’ve offered automated phantom QC modules for CT, MRI, fluoro, and DR systems for several years now, and our clients are really pleased with the speed and consistency,” explained Angela Snyder, PhD, Atirix VP of Advanced Solutions. “We’re excited to bring these advantages to the nuclear medicine department with the same user-friendly interface our clients have come to expect.”

The research was a collaborative effort between the Atirix Medical Systems research team and the University of Virginia Health System medical physics team.

The paper is available on the AAPM website as part of the November 2020 issue of JACMP. It is also available by request from Atirix Medical Systems.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

November 4, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Researchers from University of Virginia in collaboration with scientists at Atirix Medical Systems and Virginia Commonwealth University demonstrated that Signal to Noise (SNR) is an effective and efficient quality measure for daily fluoroscopy QC. This result shows that regular image-based QC is a realistic practice for busy interventional labs.

Fluoroscopy is a critical element in many complex medical interventions. However, modern fluoroscopes have become increasingly challenging to evaluate for imaging performance, fluoroscope constancy, and procedure readiness. The QC-Track® software with automated fluoroscopy phantom analysis allows both technologists and physicists to quickly obtain key QC values. With this tool, the University of Virginia Health System was able to evaluate several key QC parameters across scanners and across time, concluding that SNR offered an optimal balance of stability, power, and efficiency.

This research, published as “Signal and contrast to noise ratio evaluation of fluoroscopic loops for interventional fluoroscope quality control” in the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, is an important step toward establishing a standard fluoroscopy QC method. Lead author Allen Goode, Chief Diagnostic Medical Physicist at the University of Virginia Health System, saw a need for robust, observer-independent QC that would be achievable by technologists in high-patient-volume interventional radiology departments at UVA. QC regulations around fluoroscopy lag far behind modalities such as MRI, CT, Mammography, and Nuclear Medicine. Furthermore, when an interventional radiology suite fails to be usable at procedure time, the impact is high, as these interventions are often critical, urgent, and preparation-intense with both patient anesthesia and surgeon readiness.

Co-author Angela Snyder, PhD, VP, Research, Atirix, adds, “UVA Health has a strong commitment to image quality. They are setting an example for other imaging centers in ensuring image quality and equipment readiness. We are excited to be part of identifying the highest-impact quality metrics and creating methods to make them efficient and accessible enough to be implemented in any fluoroscopy department.”

The paper is available online at aapm.onlinelibrary.wiley.com. The patented QC-Track software is the only comprehensive imaging QC system. QC-Track creates value and ensures image quality for all parties involved in the imaging QC cycle, from QC technologists to physicists to inspectors. Further information about QC-Track and automated phantom analysis is available at atirix.com.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

May 15, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that an abstract submitted by Erik Tazegul, Atirix Research Analyst, on using QC-Track for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine QC, has been accepted for an oral presentation at the 2019 American Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting taking place July 14 through 18 in San Antonio, TX.

The research, “Automated Phantom Analysis for Gamma Cameras – An Efficient, Accessible, Consistent, and Sensitive Method for Quality Control,” demonstrated that QC-Track’s Automated Phantom Analysis module can be used to quantitatively analyze image quality and resolution of gamma cameras as part of an institution’s routine QC process. The QC-Track module processes the Jasczak and bar phantoms commonly used in nuclear medical quality control and reliably returns results that are consistent with human analysis and have greater resolution.

“Automating the phantom analysis is important for efficiency and consistency,” said Angela Snyder, PhD, Atirix VP of Research. “However, more important are the resolution improvements which make it possible to identify subtle performance changes. This approach addresses the coarseness inherent in the phantoms used in nuclear medicine.”

This research has been a collaborative effort between the Atirix Medical Systems research team and the University of Virginia Health System medical physics team. Erik’s presentation will take place Sunday, July 14 during the nuclear medicine session.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Feb. 26, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – The QC-Track 5.9 release introduces two new QC-Track®.Credentials™ options to better meet the tracking needs of the entire imaging department.

The QC-Track.Credentials module, originally designed to meet the challenges of mammography credentials tracking, centrally manages ongoing professional credential tracking using automated credential status monitoring with built-in email notices. A new feature allows links to online training to be included in the email reminder to make it easier for employees to stay current.

The Standard offering is a new option to simplify tracking for periodic training and certifications, such as annual radiation safety training. Features include reminder schedules, the ability to attach PDF copies of certificates, and credential reports.

The Enhanced offering adds detailed tracking for CEU/CME and exam counts by modality. The point-in-time and rolling window tracking features simplify compliance with the ACR’s continuing education requirements. Credential renewal dates, CEU/CME thresholds, and exam thresholds are monitored, and personnel are automatically notified prior to expiration or threshold violations. The Enhanced offering meets the complex tracking challenges of mammography, fluoroscopy (per California requirements), and physicist and M.D. credentials. (Please note the “Enhanced” packaging and set of capabilities have been available in QC-Track starting with the original product release in 2008.)

The Specialty offering, also new in QC-Track 5.9, meets the full credential tracking needs of a modality. The initial Specialty offering is “Specialty for Mammography” to meet the tracking needs of MQSA and the additional requirements of FDA EQUIP. For clients who have already licensed the Enhanced credentials offering as well as QC-Track®.Planner™, “Specialty for Mammography” adds additional tracking workflows for FDA EQUIP Questions 1 and 2.

“Regulators have really increased their requirements for ongoing credentials, and our clients keep asking for an answer to department-wide credential tracking needs,” said Rania Johnson R.T. (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services. “These new options for QC-Track.Credentials will help our clients tailor their credential tracking for different roles and departments. From the Standard option meeting most needs, like the recent TJC requirement for fluoro training, to the ‘Specialty for Mammography’ option handling all the moving parts that go with FDA EQUIP, QC-Track makes it possible to have centralized, paperless credential tracking for the entire imaging team.”

The QC-Track 5.9 release is scheduled for second quarter, 2019. Contact Atirix for more information, to schedule a Webex demo, and for current pricing.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners 

Minneapolis – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces QC-Track 5.5 is now available.

The patented QC-Track system is an enterprise Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) with modules for device QC across all diagnostic imaging modalities.  The QC-Track mammography module is a complete device QC tracking and reporting solution for breast imaging centers and has been used by facilities around the U.S. for Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance since 2008. 

FDA EQUIP enforcement starts January 1, 2018.  QC-Track 5.5 provides a streamlined process for EQUIP compliance, with support for each of the three questions of the new FDA EQUIP requirements. 

For EQUIP Questions 1 and 2, the QC-Track^®.Credentials™ module has been enhanced with new workflows to log and report on the image quality feedback and image quality review processes, including corrective action logging and built-in feedback notification emails.  In addition, for EQUIP Question 2, the QC-Track^®.Planner™ event tracking module provides a system for notifying, scheduling, and tracking QA review events. 

For EQUIP Question 3, a new QC Sign Off desktop is available for the lead interpreting physician to easily review device QC/QA-related reports and documents and perform electronic sign off with EQUIP-specific sign off language.

“We worked closely with a group of our nationally respected clients to refine these new workflows.  And since QC-Track is used in so many MQSA inspections every year, we wanted to make sure inspectors would be comfortable with our approach,” said Rania Johnson, RT (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services.  “The result is a fast and easy-to-use process that helps our clients comply with these important new requirements.  QC-Track 5.5 is a timely solution, and everyone wins.” 

For more information on QC-Track for EQUIP support, including infographics, WebEx demos, budgetary quotes, and training, see Atirix.com, email info@atirix.com, or call 877-273-1764.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system is a modular intranet QCIS for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix. 

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners 

Minneapolis – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announced today that it will exhibit at AHRA’s 45th Annual Meeting and Exposition being held July 9 – 12 in Anaheim, Cal. Atirix will reveal the latest release of its flagship product, the patented QC-Track® system, and provide product demos in booth 338.

The QC-Track 5.4 release introduces new capabilities for ultrasound QC, including ACR transducer phantom QC, as well as a workflow to track the ultrasound transducer HLD needed for “semi-critical devices” used for intracavitary exams.

QC-Track 5.4 also includes enhancements to support the new FDA EQUIP process for Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance. Since its introduction at RSNA 2008, QC-Track has been proven annually in MQSA inspections across the country. The latest QC-Track features make the sign off process even more convenient for lead interpreting physicians.

For those attendees interested in the latest TJC requirements, Atirix will also be displaying QC-Track’s enhancements and improvements to phantom QC for CT and MRI. There are also new capabilities for advanced phantom research, including the ability to generate detailed, slice-by-slice phantom data into a data cube for analysis.

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Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The QC-Track system is an enterprise Quality Control Information System (QCIS™) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and PM/service tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the 10 largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, November 17, 2016 – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces a new release of the patented QC-Track system is now available for general release.

QC-Track 5.2 includes improvements that broaden the scope and optimize the workflows of QC-Track, reinforcing its capabilities as an enterprise Quality Control Information System (QCIS™).

A new device QC module is now available for ultrasound QC tracking. This workflow accounts for the specific needs of ultrasound base unit and transducer testing by employing barcode tags in a workflow similar to that of QC-Track.Aprons.

A number of improvements in the credential workflow streamline the credential setup and maintenance process, and new credential reports now accommodate more reporting needs.

Finally, this release introduces the capability to support multiple-division operations to make it easier for enterprise installations to manage the components licensed within a division.

Contact the Atirix support team for release notes and to schedule an upgrade.

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Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track^® system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics, and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control, and regulatory reporting needs.

The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, September 1, 2016 – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces that Rania Johnson, Senior Director of Product Management, has recently been certified and registered in Quality Management by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

According to the ARRT, candidates for the QM certification and registration must complete the ARRT Quality Management Clinical Experience Requirements, comply with the ARRT Rules of Ethics and pass the ARRT Quality Management examination.

Rania has joined an elite group. As of August 2016, only 1,336 ARRT registered technologists held a Quality Management designation, which is less than 0.5% of the 331,560 total technologists registered with the ARRT.

Rania answered a few questions regarding her QM certification and registration.

How much work was required to obtain your QM?

RJ: It was a lot of work! I attended a three-day seminar at the Advanced Health Education Center in Houston to earn the 16 educational credits and complete the procedural requirements for physicist equipment QC. Then I started working on the five quality improvement projects. These were great, as they had me apply the laws and the QC activities that I was studying. Lastly, I spent a day shadowing an Atirix client for general QC procedures. And, of course, I studied for the exam for about 10 months. I’d always heard that only about half the people who take the exam actually pass it, so I’m really glad to have passed it on the first try!

How do you think what you’ve learned through this process will inform the work you do with Atirix clients?

RJ: My background is as a mammo tech, and I’ve worked with our clients on mammo QC for many years. I think the QM training has given me a much better perspective across modalities on how QA technologists and managers think about the continuous QC activities. Since Atirix has been implementing more enterprise projects lately, having this broader knowledge will help me understand clients’ challenges and provide services that fit clients’ needs.

The ARRT recently announced that the requirements for obtaining a QM designation are changing. What’s your reaction?

RJ: The prepublication indicates that the new requirements will be eliminating the analog and film/screen knowledge. I think this makes sense, since imaging has become more digital, and newer technologists are less likely to have any experience with analog imaging. However, I guess I was surprised to see in the prepublication that ARRT is also proposing to deemphasize the physics aspect of the designation. I think that understanding the physics survey process is an important aspect of understanding imaging QC and why ongoing QC is so important.

Do you plan to pursue any additional certifications?

RJ: No, not at this time. QM is currently the only designation that spans ionizing radiation modalities, so today it’s really the most useful one for me. After all the work I put into this one, it’s going to be a bit before I take on another project like this.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, Decmeber 4, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., a new release of the patented QC-Track system is now available for general release.

QC-Track 4.7 includes improvements to help standardize QC processes and further reinforce QC-Track as the enterprise QC data repository.

One area of improvement is around new scheduling capabilities to more precisely control the QC process and the timeframe during which QC activities are performed, including a worksheet backdating control. A backdating window can now be selectively opened so that worksheets can be backdated only during a specific time period as needed. This helps ensure that QC activities are performed and data recorded during specified time periods.

Another area of improvement is in the precision of email notices, including a new capability to trigger a caution email prior to a scheduled QC activity period expiring and a QC task going overdue. This can be particularly important for time-sensitive QC activities like those found in mammography and Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance.

QC-Track has also been improved in the area of document management. Documents can now be tagged for searching as they are attached. In addition, a new document search page has been added to find attached documents from all areas of QC-Track, including device QC, credentials, aprons and service related documents. This can be particularly helpful during inspections when QC documents and records might be needed from remote locations.

Contact the Atirix support team for release notes and to schedule an upgrade.

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Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, June 26, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces in-depth webinars on the QC-Track enterprise QC platform during August, 2015.

“Quality control practices have been quickly changing in response to the upsurge in regulations and accreditation requirements. This will only continue with the new Joint Commission Diagnostic Imaging Services standards that go into effect on July 1,” said Steve Backes, President and CEO. “These seminars will help imaging QC teams gain valuable new ideas and strategies to address today’s QC challenges and reduce QC risk.”

The presenters will be Rania Johnson, R.T.(R) (M), Senior Director, Product Management, and Angela Snyder, Ph.D., Director of Research.

The agenda for each webinar includes a synopsis of regulations and accreditation requirements, QC-Track product information, a demonstration with specific capabilities by modality, case studies, and an introduction to the advanced QC management capabilities of the QC-Track platform.

The webinar schedule is as follows. All webinars are scheduled for 2PM CDT on the day they are scheduled. Please note that the MQSA session, QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting, will be presented on August 4 and on August 19.

• Tues, Aug 4 2PM CDT (and Aug 19) — QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting
• Thurs, Aug 6 2PM CDT — QC-Track for the RSO: Enterprise Apron Tracking
• Tues, Aug 11 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 1: CT
• Wed, Aug 12 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 2: MRI
• Thurs, Aug 13 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 3: Nuclear Medicine, PET, and Fusion Systems
• Tues, Aug 18 2PM CDT — QC-Track and the Rest of Diagnostic Imaging: DR, Fluoro, DXA, and US Systems
• Wed, Aug 19 2PM CDT — QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting
• Thurs, Aug 20 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Tools for Enterprise QC: Enterprise Dashboard, Email Alerts, and PM/Service Tracking

Register at atirix.com. You can sign up for more than one webinar. There is no cost for the webinars.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, May 1, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that interactive online training modules are now available for the QC-Track system.

The QC-Track Training Center is now part of the secure Support Center on the Atirix.com website. Courses and tutorials covering all aspects of day-to-day use and administration of the QC-Track system are available.

“I’m really excited to offer this new service to our clients,” said Rania Johnson, RT (R)(M), Senior Director of Product Management. “Our clients will be able to get answers to all sorts of product questions, and they can do it at their convenience. It will really help clients needing to do those ‘only occasionally’ type tasks they might not remember from training. We see this as a great first step toward offering a full on-line training environment for clients that prefer automated training.”

Atirix client personnel are able to use the Training Center at no charge during the QC-Track warranty and support periods.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, April 30, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that an on-line webinar, sponsored by the AHRA, will be presented on May 27, 1 p.m. CDT. Please go to ahraonline.org to register.


Atirix is a Director’s Circle sponsor of the AHRA Educational Foundation.

As part of its support, Atirix is also sponsoring:

• Lean Six Sigma Workshop, Sunday, July 19, 2015, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the AHRA 43rd Annual Meeting and Exposition, Las Vegas, NV.
• AHRA Online Institute. Free credits will be available to AHRA members during October 2015.

Be sure to look for the QC-Track system at the AHRA Annual Meeting in Booth #1135.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, July 28, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that managed cloud operations are now available for the QC-Track® system.

The Atirix Cloud option includes QC-Track system installation, system management, and backup/recovery on a secured cloud server. Atirix configures the cloud server for the client, restricting user access to only the client’s personnel. Atirix will transfer the QC-Track software and data to the facility at any time during the QC-Track warranty or Support and Maintenance period.

“Our clients want to get the benefits of QC-Track as soon as possible but many IT groups are just too busy, meaning QC-Track installations can get delayed,” said Kevin Onken, Senior Director, Customer Solutions. “Some clients might prefer cloud for on-going operations. Others can use this as a helpful bridge until an in-house server is available.”

Contact Atirix for more information and pricing.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, July 28, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that the QC-Track^®.Planner module will be available in QC-Track 4.3, scheduled for release on September 1, 2014.

QC-Track.Planner is for scheduling and tracking preventive maintenance (PM) and service events. This can include events for equipment with a formal QC process, such as an imaging unit, and also equipment that requires periodic PM but does not have a QC process, such as tread mills in a stress lab. In addition, other recurring and one-time events related to equipment in the diagnostic imaging center can also be scheduled and tracked, including equipment installations, physicist surveys, and inspections and audits.

QC-Track.Planner events show up on the QC Dashboard as they are due, and can also be managed in a calendar view. In addition, service reports and related PM records can be scanned and stored as part of the event, enabling service records to be centrally stored and accessed.

“For the first time all of your equipment and service records can be stored along with device QC records,” said Rania Johnson, R.T., (R)(M), Director, Product Management, “and this is getting more important as the record keeping requirements of diagnostic imaging centers keep increasing. Binders and shared directories just don’t cut it. QC-Track makes it easier, faster and more secure to manage and access this important equipment information.”

Contact Atirix for more information, demonstrations and pricing.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for device quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, June 6, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., will be participating in several upcoming conferences, including:



Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, January 23, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., will be participating in several upcoming conferences, including:



Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, July 19, 2013 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that two patents have issued for quality control systems and methods.

Most recently, U.S. 8,478,610, “Medical imaging device quality control system and method” issued on July 2, 2013. This patent claims the use of QC dashboards and scheduled QC tests to manage the quality control process in diagnostic imaging centers for mammography, Full Field Digital Mammography (“FFDM”), MRI, breast MRI, x-ray and ultrasound imaging systems and related peripheral devices. This patent has 28 claims.

Prior to that, U.S. 8,428,969, “System and method for tracking medical imaging quality” issued on April 23, 2013. This patent claims a computer-based process of performing QC, such as required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), in breast imaging centers on mammography, FFDM, MRI, x-ray and ultrasound imaging systems. The process includes completing pre-programmed test worksheets based on a schedule, storing QC data in a database, and generating QC reports for audits. This patent has 17 claims.

Both patents are based on a provisional patent application the Company filed on January 19, 2005.

The complete patent descriptions are available at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track^® system for quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including five of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use the QC-Track system for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

For more information please contact Atirix sales at 877/273-1764, sales@atirix.com or www.atirix.com

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, June 15, 2013 — Steve Backes, CEO, presented on QC-Track^® at the NCC - AAPM meeting on May 3, 2013.

Steve Backes, President and CEO of Atirix, presented at the recent meeting of the North Central Chapter of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (NCC-AAPM). Steve’s presentation was titled “TJC Sentinel Event Alert 47: Centralized QC in Practice.”

The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert47 “Radiation risks of diagnostic imaging” (“SEA 47”) was published in August, 2011. SEA 47 describes specific actions that can be taken by diagnostic imaging centers to improve patient safety by ensuring the patient receives proper dose, improving quality control practices and promoting a culture of safety.

Specifically with respect to improving quality control practices, SEA 47 Action Item 14 encourages the implementation of a centralized quality control system “under the supervision of a qualified medical physicist.”

What are the realities of implementing a centralized quality control system in the spirit of SEA 47?

At University of Virginia Health System (UVA), the medical physics team has worked with radiology leadership to implement a centralized quality system. Using the patented QC-Track system for device QC, credential tracking and apron tracking from Atirix Medical Systems, the medical physics team has embarked on a staged implementation to deploy a centralized intranet-based system for QC across twelve locations.

In the presentation Atirix President Steve Backes described the implementation of the QC-Track system at UVA. Steve discussed device quality control, UVA’s practices prior to the QC-Track system, the functional and technical implementation plans used by the team, operational impact of the centralized QC system, and lessons learned. Steve also discussed the new types of tracking and radiation safety-related communications and management processes made possible by the QC-Track system.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patent-pending QC-Track^® system for quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including five of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use the QC-Track system for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

For more information please contact Atirix sales at 877/273-1764, sales@atirix.com or www.atirix.com

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, March 11, 2013 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that it is a sponsor of the Mayo Clinic Health System "Breast Imaging: Mind, Body, and Soul" Conference.

The Conference is for Mammography technologists and related health professionals and covers the latest breast cancer technologies as well as techniques for holistic care of breast cancer patients. The Conference is offered every three years by the Mayo Clinic Health System and will be at the Maycrest Auditorium on the campus of Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare in LaCrosse, WI.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patent-pending QC-Track^® system for quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including five of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

For more information please contact Atirix sales at 877/273-1764, sales@atirix.com or www.atirix.com

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Minneapolis, March 11, 2013 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that MG-Track 3.2 is now available and that MG-Track 3.3 will be available on April 1.

MG-Track 3.2 includes new patient letter macros for breast density reporting to meet upcoming California requirements that will be in force April 1. MG-Track 3.3 will include a Patient History module to help breast imaging facilities track and manage a patient’s medical and personal history information.

MG-Track is an exam tracking, patient letter and MQSA medical audit reporting system for facilities that need to comply with the Mammography Quality Standards Act and have a clinical reporting system in place.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patent-pending QC-Track^® system for quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including five of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track and MG-Track are available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

For more information please contact Atirix sales at 877/273-1764, sales@atirix.com or www.atirix.com

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Minneapolis, November 14, 2012 — Atirix^® Medical Systems, Inc., will be exhibiting at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference, one of the largest medical conferences in the world. This is Atirix’s sixth year exhibiting at the conference.

Atirix will be in the South Hall in Booth # 4703. Please join us to see our newest products.

Highlights in the Atirix booth at this year’s conference include:


Atirix Medical Systems, of Minneapolis, MN, develops quality assurance and workflow products for diagnostic imaging centers. The patent-pending QC-Track software system automates the tracking and reporting of device quality control activities for imaging modalities and accessories. QC-Track modules are available for FFDM (MQSA, vendor and ACR; including worksheets for all Hologic digital systems), CT (ACR), MRI (ACR), CR/DR, and fluoroscopy systems. QC-Track options include a professional credential management module and the QC-Connector™, an interface for automated phantom image QC data.

Atirix distributes directly and through regional and national distributors. Please see the Atirix web site for information on Atirix distributors.

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, October 15, 2012 — Atirix^® Medical Systems, Inc., announces that Mediscribes, Inc., a fast growing medical transcription provider, is a distributor for the Provox^® products for speech-driven workflow reporting.

Provox VoxReports™ is a front-end speech recognition system for radiology reporting and workflow management. VoxReports supplements radiologist dictation with front-end speech recognition and macros, automating the workflow between radiologists and transcriptionists. Provox VoxNotes™, a front-end speech recognition system for clinical reporting, automates the workflow between clinicians and transcriptionists and includes capabilities for charting.

Based in Louisville, KY, Mediscribes is one of the fastest growing transcription and document management solution providers in United States. “The Provox products are a good fit for our provider clientele seeking a cost-effective dictation and workflow solution,” said Vatsal Ghiya, President and CEO of Mediscribes. “We will be offering a very competitive per-report pricing model that should be appealing to imaging centers looking to gain the advantages of turn-around time improvements at a very reasonable cost.”

“We’re excited that Mediscribes will be distributing the Provox products,” said Steve Backes, President and CEO of Atirix. “Mediscribes specializes in small to medium sized hospitals and clinics, where Provox products have proven to be a good value. Compared to template driven documentation and EMRs, transcription combined with speech recognition captures the patient story in a more meaningful and comprehensive way and also significantly improves the productivity of the clinician. The Provox products will be a good strategic fit for Mediscribes and their clients.”

Mediscribes is an ISO 9000-2001 certified company, rendering cost-effective consolidated transcription solutions to major hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. The firm specializes in providing highly accurate transcription services, while adhering to the Association for Healthcare Document Integrity (AHDI) guidelines. Mediscribes has a wide network of highly-skilled transcriptionists, editors and quality assurance professionals servicing more than 2,000 providers and producing over 40 million lines of transcribed dictation.

Atirix Medical Systems, of Minneapolis, MN, develops quality assurance and workflow products for diagnostic imaging centers. The patented Provox software system features SmartMacros™ for dynamic report formatting and includes system management tools for workflow customization, administrative controls, and performance reporting.

For more information please contact Atirix at 877/273-1764 or www.atirix.com. Mediscribes and Atirix will be together at RSNA in the Atirix booth, South Hall, #4703.

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners

Minneapolis, June 19, 2012 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that a module for protective shielding tracking is now available for the QC-Track^® system.

The patent-pending QC-Track software system automates the tracking and graphing of device quality control activities for imaging modalities and accessories in diagnostic imaging centers.

The Joint Commission and many states requires imaging centers to track the quality control status of protective shielding equipment such as lead aprons and thyroid shields.

The QC-Track Protective Shielding module includes worksheets and reports to track the status of protective shielding equipment. Atirix now offers barcode tags to uniquely identify each piece of protective shielding, connectors to attch tags to shielding, and barcode scanners integrated with the QC-Track system.

"The ability to track the status of protective shielding in the QC-Track database is a helpful add-on for QC-Track users. The QC-Track Dashboard already reminds users that QC activities are due from imaging units and accessories, now users will also be reminded that it is time to do QC on their aprons. Things won't fall through the cracks," said Rania Johnson, R.T.(R)(M), Director, Product Management, adding "QC-Track is browser-based so you can perform your protective shielding QC anywhere your aprons are located and everything gets stored in the QC-Track database."

"Accreditation and safety requirements continue to increase at all levels. Medical physicists and radiation safety officers need better data to meet these needs," said Steve Backes, President. "Atirix offers QC solutions across diagnostic imaging. With the Protective Shielding Module, even more QC activities can be managed on a common platform."

QC-Track modules are available for FFDM (MQSA, vendor and ACR; including worksheets for all Hologic digital systems), CT(ACR), MRI(ACR), CR/DR, and fluoroscopy systems. QC-Track options include a professional credential management module and the QC-Connector™, an interface to import phantom image QC data.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

Minneapolis, June 16, 2011 — Atirix Medical Systems and RIT are pleased to announce the QC-Connector, a new module for a secure interface between the RIT Radia™ system and the Atirix QC-Track^® system.

RIT's Radia, released in 2009, is a system for analyzing phantom images, scoring images per ACR guidelines, and generating a report. Radia automatically scores phantom images and provides objective measurements which are required for ACR accreditation, insurance reimbursement, and routine physics checks. Radia's RunQueueC™ batch processing capability allows a facility to set up a standard QC process, significantly reducing the overall time to perform QC and improving consistency. RIT currently offers modules for CT and MRI phantom QC.

Atirix's patent-pending QC-Track system, released in 2008, was originally developed by Atirix and Hologic for automating the tracking and graphing required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). QC-Track is designed for device QC and credential management, and enables "at-a-glance" management of QC and credential process status with dashboards that show current and past-due tests, upcoming credential expirations, and scheduled reviews. QC-Track Enterprise Center™, available directly from Atirix, has been enhanced to meet the needs of radiology centers for quality control across multiple modalities and locations.

The QC-Connector is a secure interface for QC-Track Enterprise Center to receive QC data and reports. A new workflow is now available within Radia to package Radia phantom analytics data, connect to a QC-Track system, and transmit Radia QC data to QC-Track. In QC-Track, the QC-Connector module receives the Radia data and maps it into the QC-Track worksheets and database.

The combination of Radia, QC-Connector and QC-Track greatly reduces the time to calculate and record phantom scoring data, freeing up CT and MRI systems for patient care.

"QC-Track is an important piece of the puzzle for Radia customers," said Dan Ritt, Founder and President of RIT. "We’ve had many requests for a solution to centrally and securely manage the MRI and CT phantom analytics and reports generated by Radia. I think QC-Track, with its web-based packaging and heritage in the rigorous world of mammography QC, is an excellent solution for general radiology QC."

Steve Backes, CEO, Atirix, added, "QC-Track customers will find the productivity gains and consistency of the Radia product to be an important part of their enterprise QC program. Medical physicists worldwide are familiar with RIT's products for radiation therapy. We are pleased to be working with recognized experts in phantom analytics."

Contact Atirix and RIT for further product information, technical specifications, and pricing quotations.

Minneapolis, April 6, 2011 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced that QC-Track^® quality control software now supports the Hologic Selenia Dimensions 3-D system for digital breast tomosynthesis in the U.S.

The Dimensions 3-D is Hologic's most advanced breast imaging system, and received clearance for U.S. sales in February 2011.

The Dimensions 3-D templates, worksheets and graphs can be added to a current QC-Track installation.

"Dimensions 3-D is an exciting advance in breast imaging. Outside the U.S., QC-Track customers have used QC-Track for Dimensions 3-D since last year. We're pleased that U.S. customers can now use QC-Track to include Dimensions 3-D in their enterprise quality control programs," said Rania Johnson, R.T.(R)(M), Director, Product Management.

Atirix provides quality control reporting and graphing solutions for the full range of Hologic breast imaging systems, including Hologic Selenia, Selenia Dimensions 2D and 3-D, MultiCare Platinum, and M-IV systems.

The QC-Track system is an interactive data capture and graphical reporting system that automates the tracking and graphing that the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires for many of the devices associated with breast imaging facilities. QC-Track options include a professional credential management module.

QC-Track is available from Hologic, Hologic distributors and from Atirix.

Minneapolis, August 5, 2010 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced the addition of procedure exam tracking and a Radiology Interface Systems (RIS) interface to MG-Track™ with the release of Version 2.4.

The MG-Track system captures mammography exam information, generates patient letters, and produces reports for the medical audits required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). By eliminating manual tracking of patients and automating letter generation, MG-Track increases productivity and reduces the time needed for one of the more labor-intensive activities in breast imaging centers.

MG-Track is a tracking-only solution for facilities that have a mammography reporting workflow in place. MG-Track includes more than 95 customizable letter templates, a rules-based letter generator, an ability to attach documents to the exam, an advanced search capability, on-line patient letter review, and medical audit report generator. MG-Track follows the criteria found in the BI-RADS® (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, Breast Imaging Atlas) of the American College of Radiology (ACR).

"MG-Track 2.4 accommodates the follow-up and reporting needs of comprehensive breast centers," said Rania Johnson, R.T. (R) (M), Senior Product Manager. "Manual tracking is too time consuming and error-prone for even the smallest facilities."

MG-Track 2.4 collects information on procedure exams, including aspirations, needle localizations, ductograms, and needle biopsies and generates reminder letters. Tracking procedure exams in addition to screening and diagnostic exams gives a facility a more accurate understanding of a patient's status.

With the new RIS Interface module, MG-Track can automatically receive patient and schedule information from the facility's primary patient management systems via an HL7 interface, minimizing data entry time and entry errors. MG-Track uses the schedule information to control the generation of reminder letters based on whether the patient schedules and attends the recommended exam.

"MG-Track is a quick and convenient way to track your patients as they come in for their initial mammo and any follow-up work that may be needed," said Heather Farris, R.T. (R)(M), a radiology technologist at Elkview General Hospital in Hobart, OK. "This program takes all the guess work and error out of tracking!"

"The system is very efficient and cuts down on all the paperwork of the past," added Farris, who performs the technologist role for all of Elkview's radiology modalities. "We really love our MG-Track program!"

Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., develops products to improve healthcare workflow. In addition to MG-Track, Atirix offers QC-Track™ software that automates quality control reporting and graphing that MQSA requires for many of the devices associated with breast imaging facilities, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ speech-driven clinical documentation software. Atirix is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

Minneapolis, August 5, 2010 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced that QC-Track™ quality control software now supports Hologic Selenia Dimensions 2D Full Field Digital Mammography.

The Dimensions 2D is Hologic's most advanced mammography system. The Dimensions 2D can be configured for 3D breast imaging when and if breast tomosynthesis is approved by the FDA.

Atirix now provides quality control reporting and graphing solutions for the Hologic Selenia, Selenia Dimensions 2D, MultiCare Platinum and M-IV systems. The Dimensions 2D templates, worksheets and graphs can be added to a current QC-Track installation.

The QC-Track system is an interactive data capture and graphical reporting software and hardware solution that automates the tracking and graphing that the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires for many of the devices associated with breast imaging facilities. It also includes a professional credential management option. QC-Track can be used from any personal computer.

QC-Track is available from Hologic, Hologic distributors and from Atirix.

Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., develops products to improve healthcare workflow. MG-Track provides MQSA medical audit and patient follow-up. VoxReports™ is speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ is speech-driven clinical documentation software. Atirix is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

Minneapolis, August 5, 2010 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced that the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) has approved QC-Track™ and MG-Track™ training classes for Continuing Education credits as of July 23.

QC-Track and MG-Track user training are eligible for 1.5 Continuing Education credits. MG-Track administrator training is eligible for 1 CE credit. Training is available via Web-Ex.

Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., develops products to improve healthcare workflow. QC-Track software automates quality control reporting and graphing that the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires for many of the devices associated with breast imaging facilities, MG-Track provides MQSA medical audit and patient follow-up. VoxReports™ is speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ is speech-driven clinical documentation software. Atirix is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

Atirix has released a case study highlighting the use of QC-Track at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts.

Download the case study (PDF)

Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, a premier community teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard School of Medicine, has been named one of Solucient’s 100 Top Hospitals for five years and was also designated as a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence by HealthGrades. The Women’s Imaging Center at Newton-Wellesley is accredited as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in Mammography. Its mammography services, stereotactic breast biopsy program and breast ultrasound are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

With nine rooms — two at remote locations — all equipped with Hologic Selenia full field digital mammography, the Imaging Center prides itself on its state-of-the-art equipment including fully digital mammography service with Computer Aided Detection (CAD), 3-D ultrasound imaging, stereotactic breast biopsy table and Hologic’s QDR 4500 bone densitometer.

The Center has been using the Atirix QC-Track system since April, 2008. The Center switched its quality control record keeping from laborious, handwritten binders to the web-based QC-Track system, accessible from any workstation on the network.

“QC-Track is a wonderful tool,” said Cheryl Cain, Breast Imaging Facilitator for Newton-Wellesley. “There are no surprises with the QC data collected and entered into QC-Track. It is really helpful to have the built-in calculations. It also works really well for the remote facilities I manage. With QC-Track’s dashboards I’m confident the QC process is being performed on-time and in the right way at my remote facilities. In addition, no QC binders are needed at the remote facilities since everything is stored centrally. We print the necessary reports and graphs right out of QC-Track. I can view data anytime without having to fax or drive to the facilities.”

“QC-Track has cut 25% of my time when logging QC data for the nine Selenias that I’m responsible for,” said Cain. “It’s really a quick process to enter the data. The program calculates automatically and plots the graphs.”

Cain said the supervising radiologist also reviews the QC-Track data online at his convenience.

Newton-Wellesley used both QC-Track and the existing binder system to store QC data during 2008. Their most recent annual MQSA audit was in December 2008. “The auditor was impressed with the clarity of the reports that QC-Track produced,” Cain said.

Minneapolis, March 1, 2010 — QC-Track, the product that is changing how device quality control reporting is practiced at radiology centers all around the U.S. and Canada, is now even better. QC-Track Release 2.3 includes several new functions to improve the report graphing and audit preparation needed to meet Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requirements.

A new time saving feature is Virtual Audit Review™. Virtual Audit Review is a flexible batch reporting capability that, in conjunction with the QC-Track “QC Sign Off” function, provides a complete online review package for the radiologist, physicist or inspector. An online review package can be generated by device, facility, and time period, and sorted to meet the specific needs of the reviewer. The resulting package is available to be reviewed online or printed at any time. “This is a tremendous time saver and much more convenient than current practices,” said Rania Johnson, R.T. (R)(M), Senior Product Manager. “Once facilities use Virtual Audit Review they will never go back to binders and all the hassles of manual audit preparation.”

Additional QC-Track 2.3 improvements include tracking and graphing baseline values, enhancements to the sign-off function, an “all pass” button for pass-fail worksheets, improved history tracking, and other enhancements to tracking and performance.

QC-Track is designed to follow the American College of Radiology and Hologic Quality Control user manuals. QC-Track includes worksheet templates for tests required for the market leading Hologic Digital Mammography systems, Hologic analog systems, stereotactic biopsy systems, laser printers, diagnostic review workstations and other ancillary devices. QC-Track also includes a professional and facility credential management module. The QC-Track Basic Package is configured for Hologic environments and delivered on a Hewlett-Packard server. QC-Track Enterprise Edition, a software-only version of QC-Track, is configured for Hologic and mixed environments, as well as for facilities that prefer to run QC-Track on their enterprise network. Atirix is a Microsoft “Front Runner” for innovating with QC-Track on Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008. QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Hologic, Hologic dealers and Atirix.

“QC-Track gets strong marks from facilities of all sizes — major hospital networks to stand-alone centers — because it reduces paperwork, opens up rooms for more patients, and helps guide facilities through the challenging MQSA audit process,” said Steve Backes, CEO of Atirix. “QC-Track 2.3 makes it even easier to reduce audit costs and implement paperless initiatives.”

Hologic, Inc., Bedford, MA, (Nasdaq:HOLX) is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems, and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women throughout the world.

Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., develops products to improve healthcare workflow. In addition to QC-Track products, Atirix offers MG-Track™ for MQSA medical audit and patient follow-up, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ speech-driven clinical documentation software. Atirix is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner.

Microsoft has published a case study on the features and benefits of the Atirix QC-Track software.



QC-Track — Automate MQSA quality control reporting and graphing to save time and paper



Microsoft has also issued a Solution Brief on QC-Track and the use of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 to provide the Data Platform for Business Intelligence.

SQL Server 2008 Solution Brief — Atirix QC-Track (PDF)

Minneapolis, May 11, 2009 — Atirix Medical Systems today released the newest version of QC-Track using Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008, earning the company Front Runner status from Microsoft Corporation.

QC-Track software automates the quality control reporting and graphing required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) for radiology centers and simplifies the management of professional and facility credentials. QC-Track is available exclusively from Atirix strategic partner Hologic (NASD:HOLX), a leading women’s health company.

Through the Front Runner initiative, QC-Track received the Works with Windows Server 2008 and Works with SQL Server 2008 designations. QC-Track in combination with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 helps enable healthcare providers to deploy QC-Track on Microsoft-based enterprise platforms without compatibility or stability concerns. SQL Server 2008 provides the trusted, productive and intelligent Data Platform for business-critical applications.

“Microsoft remains committed to the success of our broad ISV partner community who drive innovative solutions to market,” said Mark Jewett, marketing director, SQL Server at Microsoft Corp. “The Front Runner program was designed to provide our partners with the best development environment possible and give them the technical and marketing tools they need to be successful over the long term.”

“Atirix is excited to support SQL Server 2008 because it’s a great platform and a great leap forward,” said Steve Backes, CEO of Atirix. “As a result of the solution we have developed, we are uniquely positioned to help our customers get the most from their technology investment.”

Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems, and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women throughout the world. Core business units are focused on breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical and skeletal health with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment its largest business.

Atirix products improve healthcare workflow, increase productivity, reduce cost and help meet regulatory requirements. In addition to QC-Track, Atirix offers MOM® Mammography Operational Management workflow and reporting software, MG-Track™ mammography results tracking and reporting software, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ speech-driven clinical documentation software.

Minneapolis, May 8, 2009 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in ISV/Software Solutions.

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Atirix has demonstrated its expertise with Microsoft technologies and provides a proven ability to develop solutions that meet customers’ needs.

“Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap between their business demands and technology capabilities,” said Allison Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp. “They need to trust in a company that can act as an expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive customer experience with our technologies.”

The ISV/Software Solutions Competency recognizes the skill and focus partners bring to a particular solution set. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners that have obtained this competency have a successful record of developing and marketing software based on Microsoft technologies.

“We are pleased to have achieved Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status,” said Steve Backes, CEO of Atirix. “Many healthcare providers rely on Microsoft technologies. The provider’s IT group needs to have confidence in its key vendors. Being a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner helps assure that we are a reliable solutions provider.”

Atirix products improve healthcare workflow, increase productivity, reduce cost and help meet regulatory requirements. Atirix offers QC-Track™ quality control and professional credential management software, MOM® Mammography Operational Management workflow and reporting software, MG-Track™ mammography results tracking and reporting software, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes™ speech-driven clinical documentation software.

Minneapolis, March 15, 2009 — Quality control tests for the Hologic MultiCare Platinum stereotactic breast biopsy table and M-IV analog mammography system have been added to the QC-Track™ device quality control reporting system from Atirix Medical Systems.

QC-Track software automates the quality control reporting and graphing required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) for devices associated with breast imaging and simplifies the management of professional and facility credentials. QC-Track is sold exclusively through Hologic for quality control on the Selenia FFDM and related modalities and accessories found in breast imaging centers.

QC-Track shows due and overdue quality control tests at a glance, saving time and assuring that the required test schedule is followed. The software validates data, performs calculations, shows whether the device passed a test and highlights any value that is out of range so problems are easily spotted.

The software provides the quality control reports required for MQSA audits and generates graphs that present an easy-to-understand picture of quality control data. All reports and graphs can be printed on demand.

The MultiCare Platinum prone breast biopsy table offers the latest advances in stereotactic technology making it the ideal system for characterization of calcifications, masses and architectural distortion.

Designed to provide superior imaging, enhanced operating efficiency and maximum patient comfort, the M-IV Series is the gold standard in screen-film mammography.

Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems, and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women throughout the world. Core business units are focused on breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical and skeletal health with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment its largest business.

Atirix products improve healthcare workflow, increase productivity, reduce cost and help meet regulatory requirements. In addition to QC-Track, Atirix offers MOM® Mammography Operational Management workflow and reporting software, MG-Track™ mammography results tracking and reporting software, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes speech-driven clinical documentation software.

Minneapolis, March 10, 2009 — Atirix, the new owner of ProVox, is pleased to offer TalkNotes customers the upgrade to VoxNotes. Get the upgrade with no additional licensing to purchase. Simply renew your support agreement and you will receive VoxNotes.

VoxNotes delivers the latest technology in speech-driven workflow.

VoxNotes is an enhanced speech recognition product designed to improve workflow and efficiency within your office. As a TalkNotes customer, you already understand the value of speech technology in your practice. Our new program offers more features and functions to further improve your efforts and reduce day-to-day costs.

VoxNotes highlights include:

• Increased speech accuracy and advanced editing functions to reduce correcting and formatting time.
• Expanded macro functionality with SmartMacros™ Templates to default procedure code driven templates, automatically pull patient and exam data into notes and fill-in forms “on-the-fly”.
• Advanced voice command and hand mic control to speed the dictation process with new functions, such as “Dictate from Cursor”, “Select”, “Start Bold”, “Numbering” and “Backspace”.
• Enhanced administrative performance management to provide a robust level of system reliability, expandability and reporting capabilities (e.g. speech accuracy, turnaround time, etc.).
• Greater workflow configuration options to streamline your documentation creation, delivery and management process.

These are just few of the many new capabilities that VoxNotes delivers to speed your medical documentation in the most efficient manner.

Contact us for details and deals!

To learn more about VoxNotes, schedule a WebEx demo, get related offers for discounted training or receive a hardware assessment, please contact us immediately.

Minneapolis, January 12, 2009 — The Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada has informed Atirix Medical Systems that QC-Track™ software is not regulated under Medical Devices Regulations, freeing the company to sell the software in Canada.

QC-Track software automates the quality control reporting and graphing required for devices associated with breast imaging and simplifies the management of professional and facility credentials. QC-Track is sold exclusively through Hologic for quality control on the Selenia FFDM and related modalities and accessories found in breast imaging centers.

“Canadian provider needs are similar to those in the U.S.,” said Atirix CEO Steve Backes. “We’re pleased to be able to offer QC-Track in Canada to save time and provide accurate quality control reports, especially after the positive reception the software received in its U.S. introduction.”

Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems, and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women throughout the world. Core business units are focused on breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical and skeletal health with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment its largest business.

Atirix products improve healthcare workflow, increase productivity, reduce cost and help meet regulatory requirements. In addition to QC-Track, Atirix offers MOM® Mammography Operational Management workflow and reporting software, MG-Track™ mammography patient tracking and reporting software, VoxReports™ speech-driven workflow and radiology reporting, and VoxNotes speech-driven clinical documentation software.

Minneapolis, December 8, 2008 — Atirix Medical Systems enjoyed a successful 2008 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference according to CEO Steven J. Backes, drawing interest with its quality control reporting for digital mammography and speech-driven radiology reporting and workflow products.

“We were kept busy demonstrating our QC-Track quality reporting software for Hologic digital mammography,” Backes said. “There was also a QC-Track kiosk in the Hologic booth and it was very busy, too.”

QC-Track software automates quality control reporting of Hologic digital mammography for Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) audits and manages professional and facility credentials. It is sold exclusively through Hologic.

“We gave QC-Track demonstrations nearly non-stop at our booth,” Backes said, “and Hologic reported that the QC-Track kiosk was one of its busiest demo stations. That shows a pressing need for efficiency in quality control reporting."

“We also found considerable excitement for our VoxReports speech-driven radiology reporting and workflow. Participants seemed impressed at how fast a radiologist could generate a report for a referring physician.”

The VoxReports solution is a proven front-end speech recognition system for radiology reporting and workflow management. Patented SmartMacros™ technology results in faster and more consistent reporting by using patient demographics and diagnostic data at the point of dictation to populate reports. Vox Reports works seamlessly with more than 85 RIS, PACS and EMR systems.

Atirix used a daily iPod drawing to attract visitors. Winners were Timothy Hof – Cookeville Regional Medical Center; Joel Femlee – Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; Tom Jessie – Community Hospital East; Susan Hancock – Feather River Hospital; Edwin Goldstein – Banner Good Samaritan Hospital.

Minneapolis, September 1, 2008 — Atirix Medical Systems today announced the release of QC-Track™ quality control software for the Hologic Selenia full field digital mammography system.

QC-Track software will be available exclusively from Hologic.

The software automates the quality control reporting and graphing that the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires for many of the devices associated with breast imaging facilities. It will configure test plans for specific device types, schedule QC tests and generate QC reports.

QC-Track software also simplifies one of the most resource-intense processes associated with radiology. It dramatically reduces the time and paperwork required to document credentialing requirements for a facility as well as for each employee. The software tracks professional credentials such as licenses, certifications and education. It allows a variety of credential types and can track progress against continuing education requirements. The system can remind a user by e-mail when a credential is nearing a renewal date.

“Radiology technologists have been keeping quality control records in three-ring binders, which is tedious,” said Steve Backes, Atirix CEO. “Binders have been known to get misplaced, which costs time and is a problem when you have an MQSA audit coming up.

“The QC-Track software stores records in one place that is accessible from any personal computer on your network. The software also does calculations automatically, saving the technologist from manual calculations that take time and could contain errors. After all, we all make mistakes now and then.”

Minneapolis, June 26, 2008 — Atirix Medical Systems, Minneapolis based medical software provider, today announced it has purchased Provox voice recognition system. Provox, founded in Roanoke, Virginia, will be operated as a division of Atirix.

Provox provides speech recognition systems for more than 160 imaging centers, healthcare institutions, clinics, and group practices in the U.S.

“Provox is a great fit,” said Steve Backes, Chief Executive Officer of Atirix. “Atirix now offers our customers additional proven products to increase productivity and improve report turnaround times for their referring physicians. We're particularly excited about the VoxReports product. Radiology is one of the fastest growing areas in healthcare, volumes are higher than ever, and the need for productivity tools is growing. Surveys show that radiologist interest in speech recognition has really taken off in the past year.

“Provox's use of front-end speech recognition is appealing for clinicians. They can review their dictation as it happens. Provox products use patented SmartMacro™ technologies, a rules engine and dedicated medical dictionaries for excellent recognition speed and quality. The system can be customized for each clinical professional's needs, even in the largest practices.”

Backes said that Provox has a strong team of Microsoft .NET developers and medical system integrators that add strength to Atirix's technology team. Scott Hudson, former Provox Vice President of Engineering, is now Vice President of Implementation Services and general manager of the Roanoke facility.

The Provox technologies also include Exchange Broker™ to connect Provox products with more than 80 of the most commonly used medical information systems, greatly reducing the cost of system interfaces.

“This is a strategic opportunity for us,” Backes said. “We look forward to integrating voice recognition into our existing MOM™ workflow system for mammography centers and already have clients signed up to help us do so. We also look forward to using the Exchange Broker across our product line.”

“Further, Provox has clients in many areas of medicine. The acquisition sets the stage for Atirix to explore offering certain products across the healthcare industry. We hope to learn from the customer base. In today's reimbursement environment all areas of healthcare should embrace productivity tools.” He added that Atirix is committed to supporting the entire Provox installation base.

Atirix provides software that improves productivity in imaging centers. Atirix products include the QC-Track™ system is for quality control and professional credential management in breast imaging centers. QC-Track software performs QC calculations and reports for the Hologic Selenia full field digital mammography system. QC-Track will be available exclusively from Hologic (NASD:HOLX), the leading women's health technology provider, and based in Bedford, Massachusetts. The patent-pending Atirix MOM Mammography Operational Management is a web-based workflow system designed by fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologists. The MOM system manages scheduling, workflow, patient letters, physician reporting, tracking, and MQSA reporting. Atirix is a Microsoft Certified Partner.