Editor's note: This article is a part of Dental Economics' "Focus on Digital Dentistry," a social media feature for the month of October. Join the conversation on DE's facebook page or send us a tweet @dentalmagazine! #DEdigitalmonth
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Products are launched all of the time in the dental space — but just what goes into developing, manufacturing, and ultimately installing, a dental imaging product? A lot, it turns out. This is the story of the CS 8100 3D, from start to finish.
Idea through Development
In a beige and brick, nondescript office building just outside of Paris — near Disneyland Paris — stands Carestream Dental’s digital imaging system production hub. Featuring complete research and development, mechanical, software, embedded image reconstruction, and electrical departments, a number of imaging systems — including the new CS 8100 3D — are developed and manufactured in this Marne-la-Vallee (MLV for short) facility.
Introducing innovative extraoral technology that is accessible to all dental professionals has always been a priority for Carestream Dental. Starting with the introduction of the 8000 extraoral imaging system 12 years ago, all the way to the launch of the award-winning CS 8100 panoramic system, the CS 8100 3D was part of a plan to open the door to affordable and easy-to-use imaging systems for all dental professionals.
While developing the CS 8100 3D system, the voice of the customer played a critical role. “When we talk about voice of the customer, we’re not talking about a meeting and a few phone calls,” says David Roudergues, director of U.S. equipment product line management. “This is rooted in a 100-year history of working side by side with doctors to develop products that are an asset — and not a hindrance — to their practice.”
Through feedback, David and his team quickly learned that real estate must be taken into consideration when introducing new technology. Many doctors wanted the benefits of CBCT, but did not want to give up too much space to the machine. Fortunately, miniaturizing is a trend across the board in the technology industry. From televisions to phones, technology is becoming more compact than ever—and the CS 8100 3D is no exception. “When things get compact, you have to be clever,” says Roudergues. “Removing the laser beams for patient positioning was the first step of simplifying the unit.”
Without laser beams, designing the optimal process for positioning patients was important. To ensure consistent results and eliminate the risk of a retake, a bite block was developed to make positioning the patient easier. “Now, the doctor simply chooses the area of interest and communicates this to the staff,” says David.
After conducting trade trials all over the globe, with several located near the company’s Atlanta headquarters, the CS 8100 3D was ready to go to market. The system was officially launched in the United States at the American Association of Endodontists Annual Session on May 1, 2014.
Installation, Training and Support
To expedite the implementation of the CS 8100 3D into the practice, a lot of energy went into the installation procedure. Using a patented process of breaking down the pieces into different parcels, one person can assemble the entire CS 8100 3D unit by using the crates the machine is delivered in. With this method, installation only takes half a day.
While the CS 8100 3D is easy to use, its technology is still quite sophisticated. To ensure users get the most out of their machine, practices have the option of receiving a full day of training with a certified in-house trainer. The training team also developed a number of training videos that can be opened from the user interface, along with online content, user manuals, and hands-on 3D courses. To get the U.S. support team ready for the launch of the CS 8100 3D, Carestream Dental sent Atlanta-based staff to France for three and a half weeks to learn the system. Upon returning to the United States, the support staff developed recorded sessions and hands-on training to get the rest of the team and Carestream Dental’s national service providers ready to support the system.
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To schedule a demo of the CS 8100 3D, call Carestream Dental at (800) 944-6365.
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Editor's note: This article is a part of Dental Economics' "Focus on Digital Dentistry," a social media feature for the month of October. Have you used the CS 8100 3D? Write your comments below or join the conversation on DE's facebook page. If you're on Twitter, send us a tweet @dentalmagazine! #DEdigitalmonth
Related: Catherine's Story
