How much does DSA software cost?

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Someone told me that it costs about $15,000, but I heard at the ASRA meeting that you could get companies to include it for free when you are purchasing a new c-arm. Does anyone know how much it costs or where I can find out that information? Thanks!

Sorry for my ignorance but what is it?

DSA stands for Digital Subtraction Angiography and is used commonly in Neuroradiology. I am by no means an expert, but the idea is that you are subracting out non-moving objects. In doing so, you will be able to visualize vascular uptake more easily. In a recent article by Rathmell, there is a good example of how uptake of contrast is more easily visualized following the application of DSA software.

Answering my own question, someone e-mailed me and told me that it can cost anywhere from $20,000-$40,000 more. At the ASRA conference, Dr. Rathmell was the one who said you can often get the software included when you purchase a new c-arm.

Stinfk Tofu wanted me to write a word about DSA. As you probably know, DSA stands for Digital Subtraction Angiography. DSA has been used clinically since 1979 in cardiovascular radiology (yes, at that time cardiac caths were primarily done by radiologists). The basic premise behind the technique is that when you image a vessel in angiography, you just don't image the vessel; you also image a lot of nonvascular structures, primarily bone, but also air, soft tissues, stool, etc. The overlapping shadows of these structures will preclude optimal visualization of vessels, even larger ones. Smaller vessels might be nonvisualized altogether. So, in DSA, first an image without contrast injection is obtained (called a mask). Then contrast is injected and images taken (called live images). If the mask image is subtracted from the live images, theoretically, what is left is the image of only the injected contrast without the overlapping structures. Obviously there should be no movement whatsoever for this technique to be perfect (and this often doesn't happen in clinical practice). Once the subtracted image is obtained, a few image processing filters are applied to make the contrast stand out more with respect to the background. There are also various mathematical algorithms for motion correction between the mask and live image which i won't go into. DSA can decrease the amount of contrast use in angiography, but all things equal (equal imaging parameters), this comes at the expense of increased radiation dose to the patient, Newer machines can do DSA with less dose than before, but these are more expensive and often not available in "DSA capable portable C-Arms" that are popping up like mushrooms everywhere.

Look here for an example: http://www.isi.uu.nl/Research/Gallery/DSA/

Even for non-angiographic work, DSA can be useful by making the blush of contrast more readiy visible by subtracting overlying bone. This is of course once correct needle position has been verified.

The new Ziehm Quantum can have DS added for about $9K. For OEC9800, I have been quoted around $26K. I am unfamiliar with companies offering DS without charge to their base price.

It is an option, unless you are looking to buy a vascular unit (large I.I.) etc. $20,000 is the going rate for GE and Siemens.