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SOMATOM Definition, the world’s first dual-source CT scanner |
Siemens Healthineers has just launched the world’s first dual-source CT scanner, a groundbreaking advancement that redefines the role of CT technology.
Siemens has enhanced the technical and clinical capabilities of CT scanning with the latest improvements in the SOMATOM Definition device. This scanner can perform scans faster than the heartbeat itself, capturing both detailed and comprehensive images of the heart while reducing radiation dose to patients by 50% compared to traditional CT scanners.
The SOMATOM Definition allows for imaging of patients with rapid or irregular heart rates, as well as those with arrhythmias, without the need for medication to slow the heart rate, as was previously required. This system also aids physicians in identifying and clearly defining vascular blockages, an early indicator of heart disease.
The latest improvements in Siemens’ CT imaging technology serve as a comprehensive tool in the diagnosis of acute illnesses, including examining patients with chest pain, acute abdominal pain, and suspected strokes. This device enables quicker and earlier diagnosis of acute conditions while ensuring the highest image quality, regardless of the patient’s size and condition.
The SOMATOM Definition device leverages new features, including a dual-source CT system that uses two X-ray sources and two detectors simultaneously, unlike all other CT systems that use only one source and one detector.
With a rotation speed of 0.33 seconds per cycle, it can perform ECG-synchronized imaging with a temporal resolution of 83 milliseconds, independent of heart rate. This capability provides motion-free heart images, allowing physicians to better distinguish and define areas of bone, soft tissue, and fluid.
Mr. Erich Reinhardt, CEO of Siemens Healthineers, stated: “We are truly redefining the role of CT technology while setting a new milestone for the medical device industry. With over 55 million scans performed annually in the U.S., CT technology has had a tremendous impact on disease detection. The Siemens SOMATOM Definition will enable physicians to apply CT technology in new research fields, leveraging the benefits of CT technology to help doctors diagnose diseases earlier and more cost-effectively.”
This device will be installed first in early 2006 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio; and New York University Medical Center. Mr. Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman of Siemens AG, commented: “Leading medical institutions around the world have quickly embraced the SOMATOM Definition device.”
H.N.
