RTI – celebrating four decades of providing X-ray QA

 

From its beginnings as a late-70s student project at Gothenburg’s Chalmers University of Technology, RTI Group – headquartered just outside the city – is today a world-leading manufacturer of X-ray quality assurance (QA) solutions.

The launch, in 1982, of its DIGI-X – the first commercially available multimeter to measure non-invasive kV – meant the company created an entirely new industry in X-ray QA.

With four decades of R&D expertise and a portfolio of world “firsts” – including the Mini-X, PMX-II, Barracuda, and oRTIgo software – RTI’s solutions of the Scatter Probe, Piranha and Cobia meters, and Ocean software are utilized worldwide by hospitals, major manufacturers of X-ray equipment, service providers, and government authorities.

The company’s co-founders Lars Herrnsdorf and Ulf Toll initially began research & development in alternative energy sources, forming Innova Electronics in the early 1970s when Sweden’s oil supplies were severely affected by Middle East conflicts.

“The first product, developed during our university studies, was a wind speed meter system used to evaluate places and see if they were suitable for wind energy production” explained Ulf, Concept and Feature Leader.

Lars accredits their transition to X-ray safety and decades of research to a combination of research articles, international regulatory agencies, and institutes, as well as key figures and mentors in the industry. These factors enabled the two innovators to evaluate what the market required.

“RTI started from a science article about how to make an electronic penetrometer,” explained Lars. “It is still important for the success of the company to publish our new developments in academic publications, to be accepted by big influencers and key customers.”

The prototype DIGI-X, eventually launched in 1982, was developed during the introduction of increased regulations worldwide for regular QA of medical X-ray systems used in hospitals. It would be the first commercially available multimeter to measure non-invasive kV.

“The timing was good for this type of solid-state product,” said Ulf. “It addressed the need for a small and sensitive dose detector as an alternative to the ion chambers used at the time.”

The 1982 DIGI-X was the first commercially available multimeter to measure non-invasive kV

Hans Forsberg Ph.D., responsible for X-ray QA and service at Karolinska University Hospital – then the biggest hospital in Sweden – was significant to the company’s early development.

“Good contacts meant the DIGI-X was quickly demonstrated in nearly every Swedish hospital by Hans Forsberg, and then, soon afterward, in Germany with the assistance of a network of sales representatives and the brand Philips,” explained Lars.

With the 1991 release of oRTIGo, the impact of software in X-ray QA was not lost on Ulf. While visiting a major X-ray manufacturer in the USA, he declared that RTI software should be the new Windows OS for QA.

RTI accomplished a further three major software launches since oRTIgo. The third, Ocean Next™, was released earlier this year offering workflow, automatic tests, traceability, and Bluetooth connection to Piranha and Cobia meters. A different world to the great “leap” from ion chambers to basic solid-state technology in 1981!

oRTIgo software, launched in 1991, set the standard for the current Ocean Next™

“And yet, the X-ray industry was slow to catch up,” explained Lars. “Service personnel had not been trained with computers and preferred simple units – even if it took three times longer!”

Still at the forefront of research and development in X-ray QA, age and time have not wearied Lars or Ulf. Quite the opposite!

Lars, who obtained his Ph.D. in Medical Radiation Physics at the prestigious Lund University in 2018, explained: “Advances in microelectronics will allow even more sophisticated imaging and diagnosis equipment and software. The internet’s impact will provide increased and more accessible data storage.”

Ulf, who continues to influence the major R&D projects at RTI, is more cautious. The lack of uniformity in X-ray legislation enacted globally continues to hinder the full potential of the industry, even as new and upgraded QA technologies are released.
However, a focus on “solutions” rather than meters means the RTI Group is best positioned to help customers improve their processes and be compliant with existing and future regulations.

“RTI has always been leading the development of X-ray QA and many times has introduced new and leading technology,” enthused Ulf.

 

Ewan Waugh, Ewan is RTI Group’s Content Editor. He has been part of the Headquarters’ Sales team, based in Mölndal, Sweden, since January 2019 and is responsible for the global marketing and promotion of RTI’s corporate image and industry-leading X-ray QA solutions, training, and services.

Published in EFOMP News, Issue 04/Winter 2021, page 48-49