Johns Hopkins to install first Toshiba 32-slice Aquilion

Toshiba America Medical Systems will install its first Aquilion 32 DFX multi-slice CT scanner at the cardiology division at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine.

JHU cardiologists will use the multi-slice scanner to evaluate its relevance and benefits in cardiac imaging.

The system's quantum detector is capable of producing 32 simultaneous 0.5 mm or 1 mm slices with each gantry revolution for a total of z-axis coverage of 32 mm using an array of 64 0.5mm detectors. The speed of the scanner enables data acquisition twice as fast as a 16-slice CT scanner with fewer heartbeats, shorter breath hold times and routine contrast usage of only 80-100 cc for coronaries.

Other features of the 32-slice scanner include reduce patient examination time. Traditional 16-slice CT angiograms usually take 20-30 seconds but the study takes 10-15 seconds with the 32-slice scanner. Additionally, using the 32-slice scanner shows promise in coronary CT angiography, plaque identification and accessing cardiac function.

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