GE Healthcare nets FDA clearance for high-definition LightSpeed CT scanner
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| GE’s 128-slice MDCT will now be available for sale in the U.S. Source: Parkwest Medical Center |
The system includes a new scintillator design, crafted by changing the molecular structure of garnets. Using bright yellow garnets, GE engineers developed a scintillator capable of delivering images 100 times faster, with up to 33 percent greater detail through the body and up to 47 percent greater detail in the heart, the company said.
The LightSpeed CT750 HD’s Gemstone Spectral Imaging uses up to 2,496 views per rotation (a 2.5x increase) to deliver improved spatial resolution and improved image quality across the entire field of view, according to the company. GE said its dual energy kV switching registers energies at least 165 times faster than dual-source CT at a 0.33s rotating speed. The new CT also offers 128 slices of data per rotation and 101 user selectable energy levels for viewing.
Also, the scanner’s improved spatial resolution allows it to reduce calcium blooming artifacts, making accurate stenosis quantification possible. In bench testing, it was able to accurately measure 75 percent stenosis on a 3mm vessel within 100 microns. The scanner benefits from improved low contrast detection, according to GE. The company said the new scanner improves image quality while reducing dose by up to 50 percent across the entire body and by as much as 83 percent for cardiac scans.
GE said the first clinical system will be installed soon at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Milwaukee, with shipments to clinical sites continuing this year. GE said that commercial shipments are expected to begin "over the next several months."