It seems just like it was yesterday when we were covering 64 slice CT scanners as the best and the latest thing in cardiac diagnostics. But technology is moving forward, and the demand for monstrous 256-slice CT scanners is quite high. Readers might recall our coverage of Toshiba’s Aquilion beta 256, the world’s first 256-slice CT scanner. Philips Electronics is now reporting that their 256 scanner, Brilliance iCT, unveiled last November, is now installed in 5 medical centers across the world (MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, in Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and in Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC), with 50 (!) more systems to be installed by the end of 2008.
Here’s what Philips says about its Brilliance iCT with Essence technology:
… customers tout the system’s ability to provide greater dimension and depth across a range of clinical areas such as whole brain perfusion, cardiac CT with Step & Shoot technology that images the heart in two beats while reducing dose, head and neck angiography, full field of view lung studies, virtual colonoscopy and abdominal and pelvic imaging. Brilliance iCT with Essence technology offers an impressive combination of speed, power and coverage to improve image quality while incorporating the latest dose reduction technology. Overall patient experience is improved through shorter scan times.
In addition to the 256 slice intelligent Brilliance iCT, the Brilliance 64-channel configuration is also designed with Essence technology. Unique and proprietary to Philips, Essence technology brings advances to the X-ray tube, detector system, and reconstruction engine while offering a scalable platform to enhance image quality and dose efficiencies.
“With Brilliance iCT, the superb image quality aids our clinicians in the diagnosis of complicated health conditions,” said Dr. Nathan Peled, head department of radiology of Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Israel. “The system has delivered increased rotation speeds and improved image quality and clinical performance for diagnostic confidence in routine and advanced radiological imaging.”
Product page: Brilliance iCT…
Press release: Philips accelerates plans to install Brilliance iCT around the world…
