Product Overview: Siemens Axiom Artis Interventional Lab

The Axiom Artis is one of the most prevalent product lines from Siemens in the interventional radiology category. One thing you’ll notice as you begin to look for information on the Axiom Artis is how many varieties it comes in: floor- mounted vs. ceiling-mounted vs. a combination of both, image intensifiers vs. detectors, single-plane vs. bi-plane. On top of that, there are numerous software configurations which will determine the kinds of studies each system is equipped to accommodate.

To denote the configuration of each system, Siemens has developed a "code" consisting of eight letters. With so many feature combinations, however, the code leaves you with a lot of acronyms and, perhaps, less clarity than the folks at Siemens might have hoped. We’ve decoded the acronyms below to assist anyone perusing Siemens interventional suites to better understand which system is the right fit.

Siemens Axiom Artis Acronym Key

A- Angiography

B- Bi-plane (one floor-mounted and one ceiling-mounted c-arm)

C- Cardiology

d- Digital detector (if no “d” is present, the system is equipped with an image intensifier)

F- Floor-mounted

MP- Multipurpose

T- Ceiling-mounted

U- Universal

Axiom Artis Systems

While there are Axiom Artis systems still in service that use an image intensifier (denoted by the absence of a "d" in their name) they are not included on this list. These systems are older and, in many cases, are being phased out and replaced with digital technology.

Cardiac Systems

Axiom Artis  dFC- Digital detector, floor-mounted, cardiac 

Axiom Artis  dTC- Digital detector, ceiling-mounted, cardiac 

Axiom Artis  dBC- Digital detector, bi-plane, cardiac: Siemens touted it as the “World’s first biplane C-arm system equipped with digital flat panel detectors… in both planes” 

Angiography Systems

Axiom Artis  dFA- Digital detector, floor-mounted, angio

Axiom Artis  dTA- Digital detector, ceiling-mounted, angio

Axiom Artis  dBA- Digital detector, bi-plane, angio 

Multipurpose Systems

Axiom Artis dMP- Digital detector, floor-mounted, multipurpose,

R/F exams, outpatient angio, pediatric imaging

A Note on Identifying the Artis Zee

With the later introduction of the Artis Zee series, Siemens did away with the 3-letter system and replaced it with clearer, albeit longer, descriptions like “Artis Zee Floor 30x40” or Artis Zee Ceiling 20x20”. Even so, it’s still common to hear people in the marketplace carry over the letter system and reference something like an "Artis Zee dFA". You won't find any OEM documentation using that name, but the letters will still tell you a lot about the system.

The Takeaway

While having so many options under so many acronyms can add an element of confusion, the bright side is that it offers flexibility to accommodate any interventional specialty and a wide variety of budgets. If you’d like to know more about the Axiom Artis or other interventional product lines, contact us to learn more.