Dual-Source CT Scanner Requires Only Fraction of the Radiation Dose Needed for Other Systems

A new dual-source computed tomography (CT) scanner was designed to reduce the radiation dose to patients, and is particularly suitable for pediatric hospitals.

With extremely low dose and the fast scan speed, Siemens Healthcare's (Erlangen, Germany) Somatom Definition Flash dual-source CT scanner is now poised to assist Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children (Orlando, FL, USA) to better serve its pediatric patients. The Somatom Definition Flash requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomic details. Parents and pediatric patients will benefit from this technology by not having to worry about sedation that otherwise would have been required for CT imaging. Breath hold is also optional with the Flash technology, where images are acquired in the blink of an eye.

Dose reduction strategies are most critical since the younger the patient, the greater the impact radiation can have. The scanner was designed to reduce dose to patients. Moreover, the novel X-Care application selectively reduces the radiation exposure to dose-sensitive anatomic regions, such as thyroid, gonads, and breast region, by as much as 40%. An adaptive dose shield blocks irrelevant radiation during spiral scanning, thus ensuring that only a clinically essential radiation exposure occurs. This enables an additional 25% reduction of the dose required for routine examinations.

"We are extremely pleased to be the first dedicated pediatric hospital in the world to provide this new technology,” said John Bozard, president, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. "For our young patients, the Somatom Definition Flash scanner means faster images, reduced radiation exposure, and significantly lessens the need for contrast dye injections.”

As children and infants are at a great risk to radiation exposure, the awareness of the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle is, in particular, a more sensitive issue for parents, patients, and healthcare providers.

"Siemens is a leader in pediatric CT imaging and the Somatom Definition Flash is built to be the gold standard. Future generations are going to be exposed to a fraction of the dose while providing the highest level of patient care and comfort that creates peace of mind in the community,” said Kulin Hemani, vice president, computed tomography, Siemens Healthcare. "The speed of the SomatomDefinition Flash, the excellent imaging quality from head to toe, combined with the lowest deliverable dose, ensures that pediatric patients receive the best care. This is accomplished irrespective of patient motion and within a fraction of a second.”

Due to its high scanning speed, the scanner also features new possibilities for performing CT examinations of the adult heart in the submillisiervert (mSv) range. This represents up to a much lower radiation dose than is obtainable with conventional systems. For the first time ever, the heart can thus be examined at a radiation exposure level that is three times lower than the background radiation a person naturally absorbs per year. The Somatom Definition Flash is the only CT scanner that enables the use of noninvasive cardiologic diagnostic techniques with routine applications at the lowest possible radiation exposure levels, routinely below 1 mSv.


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