[ RadSafe ] Philips Medical CT Imaging Systems Make a Difference

[John Jacobus]

Interesting.  No inforamtion about mA output or
entrance doses.

--- ROY HERREN <royherren2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Philips Medical CT Imaging Systems Make a Difference
>   Philips Medical Systems unveils computed
> tomography imaging system that scans the heart in
> two beats to aid in diagnosis and treatment of
> serious health conditions.
>   Today, at the 93 rd annual meeting of the
> Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in
> Chicago, Philips Medical Systems, a division of
> Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI)
> unveiled its latest innovative healthcare products
> and technologies that seek to make a difference in
> how radiologists can prevent, diagnose, treat and
> monitor disease, and allow them to focus more on
> their patients.
>   Among the Philips Medical Systems innovations
> featured at RSNA will be CT products designed
> specifically to improve image quality and reduce
> dose in the most demanding studies. The flagship
> product, the 256-slice Brilliance iCT scanner,
> allows radiologists to produce high-quality images
> with exceptional acquisition speed, including
> complete coverage of the heart and brain. It is so
> powerful it can capture an image of the entire heart
> in just two beats, while incorporating Philips
> technology that has reduced radiation doses by up to
> 80 percent. Note: In a retrospective study, the
> Wisconsin Heart Hospital found that it had achieved
> an 80-percent dose reduction using the Step & Shoot
> Cardiac feature compared to previous exams using
> helical CT angiography techniques. 
>   “Our innovations are perfect demonstrations of
> Philips’ commitment to enable healthcare providers
> to devote attention to their patients, not just the
> technology,” says Steve Rusckowski, CEO of Philips
> Medical Systems. “ The new Brilliance iCT scanner
> announced today was specifically designed by Philips
> to make the job of the clinicians easier and improve
> the experience of the patient .”
>   Brilliance iCT and a new 64-channel system both
> feature Philips Essence technology, consisting of
> new X-ray tubes, detectors and reconstruction design
> elements. This technology can provide detailed and
> clear 3D images of an entire organ, including the
> heart and brain, and can also show changes over
> time. All images also can be accessed on any
> computer in a hospital or by colleagues and
> researchers remotely, to make it easier for the
> whole team to share information. To date, more than
> 30 CT systems with Essence technology have been
> shipped.
> 
> The Brilliance 64-channel configuration breaks
> through previous boundaries in CT imaging, providing
> large volume, thin-slice coverage to improve
> diagnostic confidence, image quality and
> productivity.
>   With 40mm of thin-slice coverage, the 64-channel
> broadens horizons in cardiac imaging, allowing for
> unprecedented coronary artery evaluation. The
> 64-channel configuration also provides breakthrough
> performance in advanced pulmonary imaging,
> multi-organ trauma evaluation and low-dose pediatric
> applications to boost your clinical capabilities to
> the highest level attainable. 
>   The scanners deliver key clinical insights for a
> wide range of applications in the radiology and
> cardiology settings, while the enhanced
> visualizations will be valuable for doctors
> diagnosing and treating problems within the heart.
> The Philips Medical Systems Brilliance iCT scanner
> is also designed to reduce patients’ exposure to
> X-rays. The scan is much quicker, as the machine’s
> X-ray emitting gantry – the giant ring-shaped part
> that surrounds the patient – can rotate four times
> in a single second, which is 22 percent faster than
> current systems.
>   Additional company highlights at RSNA include the
> Philips Reading Room 20/20 Concept. Developed and
> designed by Philips, Reading Room 20/20 is a future
> concept of the reading room where radiologists
> analyze diagnostic images of patients. It brings to
> life Philips’ “ambient” concepts in lighting,
> information technology (IT), user interface and
> design to create a collaborative environment that
> positions radiologists as the key diagnostic
> consultant at the center of the disease management
> process. Promoting knowledge and data flow between
> radiologists and other caregivers, the cutting-edge,
> intuitive setting may foster tighter clinical
> collaboration on exams for all patients, from
> infants to adults.
>   As healthcare continues to evolve, clinicians
> require more efficient systems that reduce time and
> physical limits for acquiring diagnostic scans to
> help speed exams and care. To address these needs,
> Philips is developing technologies like a wireless
> X-ray detector for Philips X-ray systems used in the
> radiology department, emergency room and intensive
> care unit. This cable-free detector will be
> demonstrated at RSNA as a work-in-progress.
>   Additionally, Philips will showcase five research
> projects that demonstrate where radiological
> technology for diagnosing and treating heart disease
> and cancer is headed, including: 
>   · Spectral CT imaging to quantify the amount of
> calcium in tissues such as calcified plaques and the
> ability to differentiate multiple contrast agents
> from anatomical structures in one-pass CT scans; 
>   · Advanced software algorithms to calculate the
> probability that a lung nodule is malignant, and to
> search a database of prior cases with known
> diagnoses and present clinically relevant past cases
> to the user; 
>   · Patient-specific organ models for personalized
> radiology planning, therapy and reporting; 
>   · New image analysis techniques to enhance the
> resolution and image quality of PET and SPECT scans
> and extract quantitative information relating to
> localized tissue processes, such as hypoxia (reduced
> oxygen levels in tissue); and 
>   · Image-guidance technology based on the fusion of
> MR and ultrasound images for prostate biopsy. 
>   All of these products will be featured at the
> Philips Medical Systems booth, # 4129, located at
> McCormick Place, South Building, Hall A. 
> 

+++++++++++++++++++
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." -- Sir Winston Churchill

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com


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