Siemens Launches its Fastest, Single-Source CT Scanner, Somatom X.ceed

Siemens Healthineers (Erlangen, Germany) has launched Somatom X.ceed, a new high-resolution, high-speed CT (computed tomography) scanner engineered specifically for the most challenging clinical areas where time and precision are of essence.

To support medical staff in their workflows during critical situations, two "companions" for automated user guidance are integrated: myExam Companion guides users through diagnostic procedures; myNeedle Companion supports targeted needle path planning as well as laser-guided insertion across multiple modalities. With the intelligent support of myExam Companion, staff members can easily unlock the full potential of Somatom X.ceed, speeding up procedures from patient preparation to image evaluation. Applications powered by artificial intelligence provide ready to read results aimed to facilitate diagnostic tasks. In emergency imaging, myExam Companion plays a major role in guiding the user towards more standardized results and low dose levels.

With myNeedle Companion, Siemens simplifies the workflow in minimally invasive treatments. myNeedle Companion is a unique combination of hardware and software designed to greatly reduce the complexity in CT guided interventions. In addition, it is the first universal solution with a harmonized user interface for the planning and guidance of percutaneous needle procedures across imaging modalities, be it for a CT or an angiography system. Once the workflow is trained on one modality, the training efforts on another modality are expected to be much shorter. This can help to reduce unwarranted variations and minimize training efforts. Familiar user interfaces let the radiologist concentrate on what matters: accurate needle positioning with the help of the unique myNeedle Laser: a powerful, fully integrated option that projects the needle entry point and insertion angle directly on the body of the patient – even in advanced double-angulated procedures with multiple needle paths.

With its large bore of 82 centimeters and its user-friendly tablet operation, Somatom X.ceed is designed from the ground up to enhance user and patient experience, two of the top three department priorities. The system’s power and fast rotation time can use their full potential thanks to the intelligent automation of myExam Companion, achieving high-speed and high spatial resolution, key for cardiac, emergency, and spectral imaging. As a result, the fastest single-source CT scanner from Siemens can assist healthcare providers with their clinical decisions especially well in areas like emergency imaging, cardiac CT, and CT-guided interventions, all of them growing clinical fields.

“As the number and complexity of radiological procedures increase, demands on staff are reaching heightened levels. This continues to cause unwarranted variation, in both diagnostic and interventional procedures. Somatom X.ceed, together with myNeedle Companion, is a true game changer for CT-guided interventions. After the introduction of myExam Companion last year, reducing the overall complexity of scanner operation in as many aspects as possible was our next logical step,” said Philipp Fischer, Head of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers.