Siemens scores first Definition Flash CT install in U.S.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is the first medical facility in the United States to install the Somatom Definition Flash dual-source CT scanner from Siemens Healthcare.

The Somatom Definition Flash requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even small anatomical details, the company said. For example, a spiral heart scan can be performed with less than 1 millisievert (mSv), whereas the average effective dose required for this purpose usually ranges from 8 mSv to 20 mSv.

The X-Care application selectively reduces the radiation exposure to dose-sensitive anatomical regions, such as the female breast, by as much as 40 percent. Furthermore, an adaptive dose shield blocks irrelevant pre-spiral and post-spiral radiation, thus ensuring that only a minimum and clinically essential radiation exposure occurs. This enables an additional 25 percent reduction of the dose required for routine exams, according to Siemens.


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