Veterinary scene down under: Australia welcomes first mobile CT scanner, and more new

Mobile CT scanner hits the road

Advanced imaging techniques are increasingly being utilized in veterinary practice and to support demand for Computed Tomography (CT) scans, Clint Yudelman, BVSc (Hons), FANZCVS (Small Animal Internal Medicine), recently launched the Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics website, Australia’s first mobile CT scanner in a truck that can travel to animal patients across the state of Victoria.

Yudelman with the mobile CT scanner (Images courtesy of Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics)

“To allow general practice veterinarians to retain more cases, investigate more conditions, and allow margin for profitability, we wanted to provide an affordable and convenient advanced imaging option, so we’ve expanded Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics to include a mobile CT scanner,” explained Yudelman to dvm360®.

“This is the first of its kind in Australia. There is nothing else like it. At the heart of Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics’ innovative approach is the Samsung Neurologica scanner, a state-of-the-art, human-quality CT scanner. It is fixed inside a small truck, about the size of a human ambulance.”

The truck containing the mobile CT scanner will be garaged in metropolitan Melbourne but will be available for travel anywhere in Victoria, with regional clinics encouraged to batch imaging patients together to make best use of the service.

“Our truck has an inverter and alternator onboard to utilize it’s own battery power, which supplies the CT scanner and accompanying electrical equipment, and we can also utilize onshore power from a nearby building,” said Yudelman.

“The truck has digital leveling jacks to create a flat, level surface required for scanning. It has a rear tailgate lift platform to move patients onto and off the truck who are stretcher-bound. On board, there is a contrast warmer, general anesthesia and monitoring equipment, fluid pumps, and a work bench making it function like a veterinary clinic on wheels,” he continued.

Yudelman with CT scanner

Practices wanting to utilize the mobile CT scanner service can book via the Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics website or contact the team via phone or email.

“I’m very excited that we’re finally able to offer a mobile CT scanner service, and I think both animal patients and their veterinarians will reap the many benefits from gaining access to this innovative service,” concluded Yudelman.

Innovative U-light device simplifies urinary catheter placement in female dogs

During her 30 year veterinary nursing career, Anita Parkin, AVN, RVN, Dip (Surgery & ECC), VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), CVPP, TAE, nurse manager and hospital operations manager at veterinary specialist services in Queensland, had seen first-hand how difficult it was for veterinary staff to place urinary catheters in female dogs, so she came up with a device to make the process easier.

“The initial design was very much made in-house, and it was not until I was helping out as lab support for a conference overseas, that the attendees wanted to learn an easy way of placing urinary catheters in female dogs, so I quickly made up a device and showed them how easy it was to use,” explained Parkin. “It was at that lab that MILA International approached me to see if they could manufacture the product for use. We have conducted a study with final year veterinary students to see which technique they found the easiest and we had great feedback with the device. Since then, we have had 4 different prototypes to get it how we wanted it and now it is available for everyone.”

The MILA U-Light device makes placement of urinary catheters simpler due to enhanced visibility by providing clear illumination of the papilla within the female dogs reproductive tract. The MILA U-light device comes with a handle that can be cold sterilized for ongoing use, and 3 different size attachments that can be cold sterilized for ongoing use, with the attachment choice depending on the size of the patient.

“With the attachment, the longer edge of the attachment is for blocking off the vaginal opening so the catheter goes directly into the papilla - and then into the bladder. The attachment is also there to separate the tissues of the vestibule, therefore making it very easy to visualize the papilla. In addition the bright light facilitates visualization of the papilla,” said Parkin.

The MILA U-light device (Images MILA International)

The technique for using the MILA U-light involves having the patient placed in the recumbency that is most comfortable for them, then aseptically preparing the patient and choosing the device correct attachment for the size of the patient – ensuring that the MILA U-light has been cold sterilized prior.

The veterinary team member then advances the MILA U-light through the vulva past the clitoral bone, in a dorsal direction. Once the device is partially inserted, it is then tilted with the handle so that the attachment is now parallel to the spine. The papilla can be visualized through the device whilst the vaginal opening is blocked off with the longer edge of the device.

A small amount of pressure is then applied directly over the papilla with the end of the device to expose the papilla clearly. A urinary catheter is then advanced through the device, directly into the papilla – before the MILA U-light device is then removed from the patient.

“To my knowledge it is the first device of its kind in the world – and MILA International has the design patent pending. When designing the product, we had many subject matter experts in the field assess the design of the product – then we realized there would be so many more uses for the product, than what we first intended it for, such as intubation in a variety of species, and for artificial insemination in a variety of species,” shared Parkin.

“I really hope that it will help improve veterinary care for female dogs, as the feedback I was receiving was that urinary catheter placement in female dogs was too difficult, and so clinicians were not attempting to do it. Now with the MILA U-light device, its made the process very easy, which benefits our patients so much,” she concluded.