一種用于椎間盤造影的新型系統能夠診斷椎間盤相關的背部或者頸部疼痛，該系統可以自動完成并且比現存系統更加精確。

椎間盤造影是根據這樣的前提，壓迫產生疼痛的椎間盤以增加內部壓力，可以重現患者的疼痛。在此過程中，將對比染料溶液注射進椎骨椎間盤以鑒別該椎間盤或者產生疼痛的椎間盤。對壓力的精確記錄是該診斷程序質量的關鍵所在。

這種新型椎間盤刺激系統叫做CDS，能夠自動并且控制液體輸送。這套系統是由Smith & Nephew公司的內窺鏡部(Andover, MA, USA)研制開發的。其控制單元能夠在整個過程中測量椎間盤壓力，將不同操作人員之間的技術變異降低至最小，從而提高了精確性。遠程控制單元能夠讓指揮操作過程的醫生在無菌區域以外指揮，從而將關注重點從設備轉換至患者。

Texas Back研究院(Plano, USA)的脊柱外科醫生Richard Guyer醫生說：“CDS系統為我們將作為客觀工具的椎間盤造影檢查，提供了所欠缺的標準。”

Smith & Nephew公司脊柱部門副總裁John Mullen說：“醫生會為下腰部疼痛提供不同的治療方案，醫生對患者病情和疼痛程度了解的越多，他們就能夠作出更好的治療決策?！?
 
 
Automated System for Discography
 
A new system for discography, which diagnoses the source of disc-related back or neck pain, is automated and designed to be more accurate than existing systems.

Discography is based on the premise that stressing a pain-generating disc by increasing its internal pressure should reproduce the patient’s pain. During the procedure, a contrast dye solution is injected into a vertebral disc to identify the disc or discs causing the patient’s pain. Accurate pressure recordings are critical to the diagnostic quality of the procedure.

The new disc stimulation system, called CDS, provides automated, controlled fluid delivery. The system was developed by Smith & Nephew’s Endoscopy Division (Andover, MA, USA). Its control unit measures disc pressure throughout the procedure, minimizing the possibility of technique variations from one clinician to the next and improving accuracy. A remote control unit provides the clinician with command over the procedure from outside the sterile field, shifting the focus from the equipment to the patient.

“The CDS system provides the standard we have lacked for discography as an objective tool,” said Dr. Richard Guyer, a spine surgeon at the Texas Back Institute (Plano, USA).

“Physicians can prescribe a spectrum of treatments for lower back pain,” said John Mullen, vice president, Spine Division, Smith & Nephew. “The more information physicians have about the patient’s condition and pain level, the better decisions they can make about treatment options.”