美国Alara
美国Alara公司生产的MetriScan骨密度仪是目前世界上检测时间最短并唯一使用SPT技术的骨密度仪。它的检测时间不到一秒种，得到检查结果仅40秒钟，包括病人准备，参数设置，打印报告的全过程也不超过2分钟。

Incorporated in 1994, Alara, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, sells and services Computed Radiography (CR) imaging systems for a variety of applications. Applications include filmless dental x-ray, bone mineral density testing, filmless NDT x-ray, and general medical radiography.

Our corporate goal is to provide high quality, reliable CR systems to our customers. In the process, our goal is to be a growing, profitable company providing goods and services to satisfied customers. Our motto: "Customer First".

Our facilities are located in Fremont, California, just 40 miles (45 minutes) east of the San Francisco Airport (across the bay).

alara a-`lar-a n, often attrib [as low as reasonably achievable] term coined to regulate allowable amount of radiation dose in x-ray images.

Alara, Inc. was originally formed in 1994 as DenOptix, Inc. The company was founded to develop instrumentation capable of generating high quality digital images using Computed Radiography (CR) in the offices of dentists and private practice physicians. Since then Alara has reached this milestone twice with the success of its DenOptix™ Digital Imaging System for dental imaging and the Alara MetriScan® for the assessment of osteoporosis.

In 1994, CR was replacing film in the radiology departments of leading medical centers. But these CR systems cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alara developed (and patented) a far less expensive approach to CR, while still getting superb image quality and excellent reliability. This patented technology is the basis of the DenOptix and MetriScan Systems.

DenOptix, now a brand name, is now used by thousands of dental professionals worldwide. These professionals, ranging from general practice dentists, to orthodontists and other specialists, participated in an independent study that compared DenOptix to competitive products. The results indicated that 87 percent of users would purchase DenOptix again, compared to an average 48 percent repurchase rate for products of other manufacturers. Alara has also achieved a superb quality record with DenOptix. Of the thousands of systems installed in dental practices, fewer than two percent under warranty have required repair.

In the fall of 1997, Alara signed an agreement giving exclusive distribution rights of the DenOptix System to GENDEX, a subsidiary of Dentsply International. Alara remains the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of DenOptix. Gendex is now a part of the KaVo Dental family owned by Danaher Corporation, a leading manufacturer of professional instrumentation, industrial technologies and tools and components.

Once its dental products established Alara as a leader in the dental imaging industry, the company began to expand its horizons. As knowledge of the impact of osteoporosis on the aging population grew, the need for early detection became apparent. A crucial part of early detection is accessible and expedient diagnosis. This realization inspired the engineers at Alara to explore the potential impact that CR could have in the field of bone mineral density (BMD) testing.

The result was the Alara MetriScan, a CR device that estimates the bone density of the fingers, an indicator of osteoporosis and fracture risk. The Alara MetriScan stands alone in its niche in the BMD market as the only product using CR.

The Alara MetriScan received its 510(k) clearance from the FDA in May 2000. The MetriScan is indicated for use in estimating relative BMD. Physicians use the BMD along with the patient’s T-score, the industry standard predictive indicator of risk for developing osteoporotic fractures, as an aid in assessing fracture risk. Additionally, the Alara MetriScan is cleared for use to monitor changes in bone mass over time however, the rate of change of BMD at the phalanges may preclude the use of MetriScan in monitoring the effectiveness of particular drug therapies.

More recently, Alara increased its product portfolio by developing the CRystalView® R200 computed radiography device capable of reading storage phosphor imaging plates ranging in size from 8 x 10 to 14 x 17 inches in one minute or less. Its compact footprint allows for easy integration into all imaging environments.

The advantages of computed radiography are many. They include:

Decreased Radiation Levels for Intraoral Dental Radiography
All Alara products use a storage phosphor screen to capture the image. Storage phosphor can provide a high quality image with a lower radiation dose then is possible with x-ray film. For intraoral dental images, the x-ray exposure may be reduced to 10 to 20 percent of that needed for standard film.

Wide Dynamic Range
CR has a dynamic range greater than 10,000:1, or about 100 times greater than that of film. This means that CR will provide an acceptable image over a much wider exposure range, with a dramatic reduction in the number of retakes compared to film. This is especially helpful in performing portable radiographic exams, where patient positioning is often difficult, and exposure photo-timing is not available.

Users of CR should be aware that because of its wide dynamic range, there is no penalty to image quality for over exposure, and exposure levels may creep up over time. However, there is a penalty to patients in terms of elevated x-ray dose. Some CR manufacturers, including Alara with its new CRystalView R200 system, provide immediate feedback to the RT on exposure levels and generate a history of exposure levels for each RT. This enables supervisors to provide the feedback and training needed to ensure that appropriate x-ray exposures are used.

Environmental Impact
The use of CR devices eliminates all x-ray film waste, as well as the need for processing chemicals and darkroom space. In addition, traditional x-rays produce silver halide, which is the chemical compound of silver with a halogen (for example, silver iodide, silver bromide or silver chloride). These compounds produce a visual image on a photographic emulsion as a result of exposure to light. However, the proper use and disposal of silver from the silver-halide photographic process remains a major environmental issue. Alara’s CR devices eliminate all these dangerous waste products, thus benefiting the environment as well as patients.

***Awards***
In 1999 DenOptix was honored with a Silver Award for Medical & Scientific Products by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and BusinessWeek in their annual competition. Criteria for the award include design innovation, benefit to users and ecological responsibility as well as aesthetics and appeal.

MetriScan received an even higher accolade by winning a Gold Medal in the same category in 2001 and was hailed for its simple and ergonomic design.