Surgeons at Atlanta's new Saint Joseph's Hospital are now using televisions to monitor their procedures during surgery. The television screens are part of a new X-ray device in the hospital's operating room.

Commonly referred to as a "fluoroscope," the system offers optimum viewing of critical areas deep within the body and freezes action on the screen when a still picture is needed for closer study. This scientific tool is used in orthopedic, kidney and vascular surgery as well as in the implantation of a pacemaker and the location of foreign matter in the body.

"The fluoroscope has several advantages over conventional X-ray equipment," Saint Joseph's radiologists explain. First, the instrument can stop motion on the screen at any moment to project a still picture. Up to 100 of these images can be recorded on a video disc for immediate or delayed viewing. According to the physicians, these still pictures are "clearer and sharper" than conventional X-ray negatives.

Another significant factor of the fluoroscope is the "immediate availability of a bright, visible image" projected on television monitors near the unit and in observation rooms. The monitors receive the live X-ray image from a television camera attached to the unit. This projection method provides "a constant and brilliant image for detailed observation," the doctors say.

The unit's space-saving design constitutes a third advantage of the fluoroscope. Its suspension system is mounted to the ceiling away from the center of the operating table. "This unique construction provides unrestricted floor space and ample headroom for the operating team to work," observe the radiologists.

Although the fluoroscope consists of several major parts, the two primary elements of the unit are the X-ray source and the image intensifier (which converts the X-ray beams into a picture). They are fixed on opposite ends of a C-arm, directly across from each other. In this position, the wide curve of the C-arm allows for a variety of movements and settings.

The physicians say this flexibility is extremely important for post-surgery and emergency patients. "Valuable time is saved when the instrument can examine the whole width of a patient's body from one side of the table," the radiologists say. In addition, the C-arm assembly can be moved easily from a vertical to a horizontal position for "side views" without disturbing the patient.

With the fluoroscope's various advantages over conventional X-ray units and its improved utilization of operating space and personnel, the doctors believe Saint Joseph's new instrument will significantly improve the quality of patient care in Atlanta.