Powering down idle IR systems can reduce environmental impact

Powering down idle interventional radiology (IR) imaging systems can substantially decrease carbon emissions and electricity costs, according to a group of researchers at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.The team estimated that annual energy consumption for seven imaging systems at their hospital was comparable to the energy use of 23 four-person households (115,684 kilowatt hours [kWh]) and that energy consumption during nonproductive work accounted for most of the total.“Powering down idle-running interventional imaging systems outside of procedure times has substantial environmental sustainability benefits,” noted lead author Jan Vosshenrich, MD, and colleagues. The study was published March 20 in the American Journal of Roentgenology.The healthcare industry’s global carbon footprint exceeds that of major economies like Germany, France, and the U.K., and collectively accounts for up to 8.5% of global CO2 emissions, the authors explained. Medical imaging constitutes the largest consumer within the sector, they noted.With interest growing in reevaluating this energy consumption, the researchers equipped seven units at their hospital with power sensors: an interventional radiology suite, a neurointerventional suite, a radiology fluoroscopy unit, two cardiology laboratories, and two urology fluoroscopy units.Power measurement logs were extracted for a single four-week period for each radiology and cardiology system and for a two-week period for each urology syste...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Practice Management Interventional Radiology Clinical News Digital X-Ray Source Type: news