Article: Mako for dental solutions

The new Mako Dental system is your ultimate test tool when it comes to intraoral, panoramic and Dental CBCT X-ray applications.

Introduction

The RTI Mako system is the most accurate, efficient and versatile X-ray test tool available, measuring all required parameters across the full range of diagnostic X-ray modalities including Radiography, Fluoroscopy, Mammography and CT. In addition, the Mako system comes with a dedicated Dental Probe, which has been designed to excel for QA measurements across intraoral, panoramic and cone beam CT applications.

Mako is the comprehensive solution for dental applications, not only with industry-leading accuracy (1.5% kV uncertainty across the entire kV range), but it also features a sensor that is capable of measuring beams down to 0.9mm, important for ensuring dose is not underestimated in narrow-beam dental applications. The sleek design coupled with advanced Ocean software, streamlines user experience and allows you to get your dental machine back into working order with minimal disruption.

Intraoral Dental

Intraoral dental X-ray is the most common type of Dental X-ray, where the patient is imaged within the mouth to check common health issues and inspect under the gumline. When it comes to checking these units, and performing the right QA routine, it is important to have an accurate test tool, that can get the job done efficiently, often with limited space within the facility.

The Mako Dental Probe offers the perfect QA test tool partner, with its high accuracy coupled with ultimate ease-of-use. The Probe is docked to the Mako Base Unit, and data is streamed automatically to the display device via Bluetooth – no long wires or complicated setup. The Mako Probe can also be placed in any orientation under the X-ray beam, without the need for alignment checks or settings, meaning the intraoral unit can be measured with ease, just aim and expose. Simply place the Probe within the X-ray beam for accurate readings of kV, dose, dose rate, HVL and more, typically placed between 20 and 25 cm from X-ray focal spot.

Extraoral Panoramic Dental

Panoramic Dental X-ray systems can pose more challenges when it comes to the X-ray Quality Assurance process. The X-ray tube and detector rotate around the patients head during typical image acquisition, meaning you need to place your X-ray test tool in the right position on the detector plate.
For this application, the lightweight Dental Probe can be connected to the Mako Base Unit via cable, for easy positioning into the panoramic dental holder, that comes with the Mako system. The holder allows for simple positioning of the probe in the center of the X-ray beam, while the strap attaches around the detector housing. The Probe position can be easily fine-tuned thanks to the intuitive adjustment tabs, and the Mako Base Unit can be placed under the strap around the back of the tube, so there are no long cables to get tangled.

In addition, panoramic dental X-ray systems typically produce a narrow X-ray beam, down to the single millimeter width. For this, it is important to have a narrow detector, as if the sensor is not fully irradiated, there is risk of underestimation of dose. To combat this, Mako can measure down to 0.9mm wide beams, ensuring the sensor is fully exposed and accurate readings are provided. Furthermore, the advanced design of the Mako means that the user will be shown a warning if the sensor is not fully irradiated, with helpful guidance on how to re-position the sensor into the center of the X-ray beam.

Dose Area Product (DAP)

In addition to measuring kV, dose and HVL, current regulation stipulates the measurement of Dose Area Product (DAP) in extraoral X-ray equipment (stated for example in IEC 60601-2-63). In a standard CT system, a typical measure of CT dose may be performed using an Ion Chamber. However, in Dental panoramic or CBCT applications, the tube rotation is not always symmetrical or may not complete the full revolution, thereby not complying with the CTDI formalism. Hence, a common method to measure dose area product is by using a DAP chamber, which can be easily connected to the Mako system for efficient measurement. The DAP chamber is typically attached to the X-ray tube, so that the entire X-ray beam falls within the bounds of the chamber, to measure DAP.

Cost effective solution

The Mako Dental systems is a cost-effective solution, providing accuracy, efficiency and full compliance with regulation. The system has an industry-leading calibration cycle of 2 years (as opposed to the typical 1 year calibration cycle), meaning that there is minimal system downtime, and comes together with the Mako Panoramic Dental Holder for simple application, and optional DAP chamber for a full QA application range. Ocean software also offers more than an intuitive interface, as it is also capable of creating automated routines, 1-click report generation and full database management.

Michael Olding, PhD, is Head of Product Management at RTI Group. Michael works on the interface between product development at RTI and global end users of RTI’s products & solutions (physicists, engineers and medical professionals), and is passionate about ensuring user needs are at the forefront of new product development at RTI Group.

Published in EFOMP News, Issue 03/Autumn 2024, page 28-30