Newest in CT imaging technology -- dual energy source -- now being utilized on patien...( (Philadelphia PA) -- The Hospital of ...),Health

(Philadelphia, PA) -- The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is now offering the newest multi-slice computed tomography (CT) imaging technology to patients, becoming the first hospital in Philadelphia equipped with pioneering dual x-ray source technology -- which produces amazingly detailed 3-D images of the heart.

"This new technology provides us with faster, sharper images of the heart, helping doctors better diagnose potential blockages which could lead to heart attacks," explains Harold Litt, MD, PhD, Chief of Cardiovascular Imaging in Radiology at HUP. "Specifically, it allows us to take a picture of the heart twice as fast as the old 64-slice CT technology - at 83 milliseconds versus the old 165 milliseconds - with twice the imaging power. Since the heart is constantly beating and moving, the ability to 'freeze' that motion is essential to capture high quality images of the coronary arteries."

Another breakthrough benefit to this new imaging technology is that, for the first time ever, it is possible to examine every patient regardless of heart rate. Litt states that because of this faster "shutter speed," it is no longer necessary to try to slow down rapid heart rates in patients, via medication, before imaging their heart -- saving vital time for some problematic patients.

"This new system also has a roomier bore to accommodate larger or claustrophobic patients. Plus, the new system exposes patients to as much as 50% less radiation dose because it obtains images in half the time," adds Litt.

The official name of the new system - which was delivered to HUP at the end of October and is now fully operational and being utilized on patients - is Siemens' SOMATOM Definition. It is the world's first dual-source computed tomography system. What makes this system so cutting-edge is its use of two different X-ray energy sources (which can be used at two different X-ray energy levels) for two detectors. The int
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Contact: Susanne Hartman
susanne.hartman@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5964
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
6-Nov-2006