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Greetings!
Message from Metron Support Services .
 Some of you have been using Metron for years and some of you are new to the family. This is our 12th volume of the Metron Best Practice Newsletter and we hope it continues to provide you with great tips and ideas about how to better use your Metron Imaging Software. In case you have missed out on some of the earlier newsletters, are new to the Metron family, or were not on Support Services with us, we decided to talk about some of the tips, ideas and best practices from the earlier newsletters. You can also read past newsletters in their entirety on your support site. Also, since you talk with them on a regular basis and have been introduced to the folks on the phone at Support Services, we have put together a short article for you to learn more about DVMConnexx. Have a great day and enjoy the start of the fall season. |
Support Services Highlight
Lines and Patterns in Images -Kevin Scholz  If you have worked with digital x-ray you have experienced the lines and patterns in the image. In CR, we can see several different kinds of flaws in the image and sometime several in the same image.
The list below should help you better recognize the various types of image flaws and their origins.
There is also a reference document available on your support site complete with images of each flaw listed below or click here to view now. - Banding- vertical lines usually 5-20mm thick that are lighter or darker than the rest of the image. With some CR scanners, manufacturer supplied utility is available to digitally remove the "banding" lines from all subsequent images. With the ScanX, the utility is called "Normalize".
- Plate feeding marks - horizontal lines 2-10mm thick caused by a plate feeding problem. If the plate sticks or jerks while feeding through the scanner, the image displays a different shade of grey in that exact image geometry. If the plate is viewed more slowly or more quickly by the scanner, the result is a change in the displayed grey scale. If this happens often, your scanner needs service.
- Uneven shade marks - if the plate is exposed to the light, the image may show odd exposure marks like very light grey oval marks on the end of the plate. If you see odd exposure marks, are they in every image you produce or just occasionally? If not in every image, then it is likely erroneous light exposure to your CR plate.
- Thin white lines (not straight) - CR plates will wear out. One visible sign of CR plate wear can be the scratch marks that develop on the outside of the plate. The scratch marks can produce an exact duplicate "white" flaw mark in the digital image.
- Thin white lines (straight) - hair and dust that gets caught in the optical scanner will cause white lines. This is very common and also easily resolved by using cleaning sheets on a regular basis.
- The heel effect - the outer edges of the plate appear less exposed than the center. In most cases, this is not important because the object of interest is mostly in the middle of the image.
- Collimation - though done on purpose, collimation can cause unexpected results. Imaging software can misinterpret the white space and inaccurately adjust the whole image causing diagnostic distortion.
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| Company Highlight
DVMConnexx
You all know the name when you are calling into Metron Support Services. But did you know that DVMConnexx is more than just a point of contact and support for you - our valued Metron clients. We are a full service proactive managed IT company. Perhaps interesting, but what does that mean?
There are many ways of looking at IT needs in a practice. Proactively is not the rule of thumb in most businesses. When we say proactive, it means we are constantly monitoring what is happening on the computers that we have set up for monitoring services. We are looking for many issues that can creep up unannounced into a business. Maybe it is a disk filling up, maybe there is a virus hiding out there that you are not aware of. We can see all of that. In many cases, we are able to alert a practice to a potential problem or even correct it prior to them even becoming aware of it.  We work on a monthly basis so we are always earning your business and your trust. It is not a long term commitment, but we find once a practice gets comfortable, knowing someone is watching out for them, they remain on an agreement.  When we talk about computers or technology in practice, we need to think about a couple of areas. There is a down time tolerance in any business. There are many points within an IT infrastructure that are open to failure. Those two combined will help dictate the design of the infrastructure within your practice. There is a price for that. If the price point is sensitive, then you will need to make adjustments to the down time tolerance. We are here to help you understand and figure out where those lines are. What works the best for your business? We would welcome a discussion on any of the above at any time. We specialize in the IT business within a veterinary practice. We are acutely aware of practice workflow and all pieces within the practice.
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Metron Release Info! |
Release 5.42 is out! Click here for a listing of the new features now available to you. |
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Support Services Site | |
past newsletters and
online training sessions.
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Support Services |
1. It is important to backup your Metron database on a regular basis. There are a couple ways to do the backup and our online training session " Backup your Metron Database" will walk you through the options. 2. When viewing an image, don't forget at the bottom left, you have the ability to turn annotations and mark-up on and off. Also clicking the FS button will increase the image to full screen for viewing.
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Did you know? |
We have mentioned dental charts in the past.. There are also Dental Positioning Guides for Canine and Feline. Video productions of rotating skulls are available to assist in positioning the plates for your x-rays. For more information, click here for the online session. |
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You are receiving this newsletter as a part of your Metron Support Services Subscription. We encourage you to continue receiving the subscription. If you would like to receive this at an additional email address, simply click "Join our Mailing List" above. If you would like to have it sent to a different email address, please send an email to us at [email protected]. � 2009 - 2010 DVMCONNEXX. All rights reserved.
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