New CT Technology Enables Sustainable Cardiovascular Care

Equipped with a new cutting-edge detector, two new computed tomography (CT) systems provide decreased electronic noise and improved signal-to-noise ratio.

Attendees at the 2012 annual scientific meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), July 19-22, 2012, held in Baltimore (MD, USA), learned how Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) facilitates sustainable cardiovascular care with its range of cardiac computed tomography (CT) systems and services, including the Sommatom Definition Flash dual-source CT scanner and the new Somatom Definition Edge single-source CT system, both equipped with the new Stellar detector--the first fully integrated detector that virtually eliminates electronic noise. These innovations are examples of Siemens’ approach to delivering innovative solutions that provide maximum value to customers--essential goals of the Healthcare Sector’s Agenda 2013 global initiative.

The Somatom Definition Flash, Siemens’ dual-source CT system, operates at an extremely reduced radiation dose, capable of conducting a spiral heart scan with a dose of less than 1 mSv in one-quarter of a second in clinical routine (by comparison, the average yearly background radiation dose for humans worldwide is about2.4 mSv). Moreover, with its maximum temporal resolution of 75 ms, it freezes all cardiac motion; therefore, clinicians need no longer require patients to hold their breath during the exam.

Siemens’ CT iterative reconstruction SAFIRE (sonogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction) enables clinicians to drive down doses by up to 60%, while the new Stellar detector additional enhances the capabilities of the Somatom Definition Flash by delivering high spatial resolution, generating ultra-thin slices and providing an excellent level of sharpness in CT imaging at low levels of patient radiation. The Stellar detector considerably reduces electronic noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio of CT images created by the Somatom Definition Flash. Pediatric as well as bariatric patients may also benefit from the Stellar detector’s noise reduction design.

Developed to meet the increasing need for more efficient and cost-effective imaging solutions in the emergency department (ED), where 40% of CT examinations are performed, the Somatom Definition Edge CT system is the first single-source CT to utilize Siemens’ Stellar detector. The Somatom Definition Edge can generate extremely thin slices to deliver an extraordinarily high spatial resolution with an optimal signal-to-noise ratio and without an increase in dose. The higher spatial resolution may possibly help critical cases such as emergency diagnostics and cardiovascular examinations, where every additional visible micrometer can be beneficial.

The Somatom Definition Edge CT system can enable enhanced visualization of structures due to a spatial resolution of up to 0.30 mm, with potential improvement in image sharpness. Siemens’ fastest single-source CT scanner, the Somatom Definition Edge has a rotation speed as fast as 0.28 seconds, which makes it an ideal CT scanner for cardiac scanning. Furthermore, the new Dual Energy scan mode enables the Somatom Definition Edge to scan at two different tube voltages to help physicians more accurately characterize tissue types.

The marriage of high temporal resolution with a high level of spatial resolution provided by the Stellar Detector may offer clinicians a major advantage. Since coronary arteries constantly move along with the heart, the clinician must obtain CT images at a high temporal resolution to sharpen coronary artery images. The sharpness of these provided images may improve the clinician’s ability to visualize coronary stenosis and atherosclerotic changes in plaque formations. Moreover, the high spatial resolution has the potential to improve the clinician’s ability to visualize, for example, in-stent restenosis of stents smaller than 3 mm in diameter.

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