Olympic Wireless Technology for the Dental Office By: Paul Feuerstein, DMD

For several years dentists have been using intraoral cameras. Due to the high cost, a typical setup was to purchase one and move it from room to room. Originally this was done with clumsy carts. As the technology evolved, "docking stations" were put in the rooms and sometimes elaborate wired monitor networks were put in place. The problem was whenever you wanted to use the camera it was somewhere else. If you were in the middle of a procedure, you could ask your assistant to get it from the other room possibly losing valuable time, and as the saying goes, "time is money". RF System USA has come up with a marvelous solution. They have introduced a camera that is lightweight, inexpensive and transmits to the computer or TV monitor without wires (Fig. 1). The unit sits in the treatment room on a charging stand and is the size of a typical electric toothbrush. The light is produced by 4 white LEDs, and the camera is self-focusing. There is a capture button on the unit or a wireless foot pedal can be used. Some of the units, such as the SS-24, have built-in memory and can store several images before downloading them into your computer. The wireless receiver is smaller than a family-sized bar of soap and sits anywhere in the room attached to the display unit or computer. Connections are either standard "video in" or USB, and the USB unit is MAC compatible. For the very frugal office, you can put receivers in the treatment rooms and purchase fewer cameras, but risk the problem described above.

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RF System USA has been a technology leader with wireless microwave transmission of images for many years. Their technology was used with minicams at the Nagano winter Olympics and their landmark product, Norika3 (Fig. 2), endoscopic robot capsule has started a small revolution in the GI medical market. This pill-sized camera is swallowed and transmits images as it passes through the GI tract. Their other offerings in the dental office include a mini monitor-a 6-inch (Fig. 3) monitor that receives the image from the camera. If there are no existing computers or monitors in the treatment rooms this is a total solution. There are also larger wireless monitors available as well as a wireless printer and several other products including an LED curing light.

The latest technical marvel is the new wireless digital x-ray sensor. This unit has no batteries and is energized by a "collar" placed around the cone on the x-ray head. As with the cameras, the images are transmitted to your computer or monitors, which offer storage capacity. If that isn't enough, they have made an intraoral sensor that seams three x-ray shots (anterior, left and right) together to make a panoramic picture. There is also Dental-X imaging software designed for use with RF’s cameras and x-ray system.

RF System USA’s products are sold in 67 countries around the world. The cost of these units is remarkably low as the company sells direct. It is also due to the unusual philosophy of the president and CEO Jiro Maruyama. He believes that the technology developed at his company is for the good of mankind. To support this he has not patented nor made his technology exclusive. "Technology should be shared among professionals," Maruyama said. "Engineers who keep new technology undisclosed for their own personal gain means a great loss for all the professionals within that field."

With the recent opening of an office in Fresno, California, RF System USA hopes to provide increased support to its customers. Their innovation will continue to add new and interesting products to this growing high-tech market.

For more information on the wireless systems provided by RF System USA see their website at rfsystemusa.com or call 1-800-891-3322.