Siemens Healthcare celebrates a milestone of its SOMATOM® Definition AS CT scanner with the 1,000th system installation at the UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, N.C. The SOMATOM Definition AS is the world's first adaptive scanner. The system intelligently adapts to virtually any patient, adapts for complete dose protection, adapts for new dimensions, and adapts to the user's space. UNC installed the Definition AS+, which is the 128-slice configuration of the scanner.

"We are proud to be the 1,000th installation of this cutting-edge CT scanner, which will help us further advance care for our local community, as well as for the citizens of North Carolina. The selection of the Definition AS+ was driven by our commitment to offer low-dose CT in a comfortable patient environment. For example, the Adaptive Dose Shield application eliminates unnecessary radiation while the 78cm gantry opening offers more room and more comfort for our patents," said Todd Smiley, director of Radiology, UNC Health Care.

The SOMATOM Definition AS provides tremendous benefit with the Adaptive Dose Shield technology, helping to eliminate unnecessary over-radiation. Siemens' unique Adaptive Dose Shield addresses the dose reduction issue by dynamically blocking the unnecessary dose before and after the spiral scan, ensuring that the only dose applied to the patient is dose that is clinically relevant.

The SOMATOM Definition AS adapts to each patient's clinical situation and also opens the door to new applications in CT imaging. The unique Adaptive 4D Spiral mode of the SOMATOM Definition AS is able to address functional imaging (perfusion images of blood flow over time) of whole organs. This allows Siemens to offer dynamic information of up to 27cm. In the case of a stroke, physicians can use whole-organ perfusion imaging not only for a small part of the brain, but for all of it.

"As every patient is different, so is every clinical question. The SOMATOM Definition AS was created to be a new kind of CT that could actually adapt to virtually each patient and recognize the unique needs of physicians," said Kulin Hemani, vice president, Computed Tomography, Siemens Healthcare. "This scanner can act as a stroke unit, a noninvasive cath lab, a therapy management tool for cancer patients, or an interventional suite, and thereby helping to improve the quality of patient management and overall efficiency of healthcare."

The SOMATOM Definition AS comes in multiple configurations, each of which is tailored to a hospital's workflow and clinical needs, with a goal to make the most complex procedures routine. The technology couples multiple components in a dynamic manner: a large-volume coverage area with a 200-cm scan range and up to 300 msec rotation time, 78-cm gantry bore, and the ability to add a high-capacity 660-pound patient table. These features allow even the most clinically challenging patients (i.e., trauma patients) to be imaged rapidly, from head to toe, with minimum difficulty. The Definition AS is available in 40-slice, 64-slice, and 128-slice configurations. It can be field upgraded to other configurations with minimal downtime. This allows the technology to grow with the institution's needs while minimizing downtime and loss of service.

Source:
Siemens Healthcare Sector