Siemens Announces First U.S. Installation of Symbia Intevo xSPECT System
Next stage in SPECT and CT integration installed at University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview
The University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, recently became the first U.S. health care facility to install the Symbia Intevo xSPECT system from Siemens Healthcare. The first-ever xSPECT system, the Symbia Intevo fully integrates single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and CT during image reconstruction, combining SPECT’s high sensitivity with the high specificity of CT and completely integrating data from the two modalities to generate high resolution and, for the first time, quantitative images.
“The Symbia Intevo’s ability to truly merge SPECT and CT data provides our physicians with invaluable additional diagnostic information, helping us to differentiate cancer from other forms of disease,” said Jerry Froelich, MD, director of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at the University of Minnesota. “For example, with the Intevo, we are better able to identify metastatic change within an area of degenerative change, such as the spine of older patients. The supporting information of the system’s xSPECT image enables us to make these kinds of objective interpretations of disease in cases where subjective interpretations had only been possible previously.”
The Symbia Intevo xSPECT system reconstructs both the SPECT and CT portions of the image into a much higher frame of reference than previous systems. The result is precise, accurate alignment of SPECT and CT that facilitates the extraction and deep integration of medically relevant information. This ability is also the basis for differentiating tissue boundaries in bone imaging. With xSPECT Bone, physicians can potentially provide additional support for detecting – and distinguishing between – cancerous lesions and degenerative disorders. In addition, single-step reading with integrated xSPECT Bone images may reduce physician time to read and report.
xSPECT Quant delivers precise alignment of SPECT and CT, providing physicians with essential volumetric information from the CT scan. This information enables accurate and consistent quantitative assessment – a numerical indication of a tumor’s level of metabolic activity. Accurate quantitative assessment enables the physician to assess whether a patient’s course of treatment has regressed, stabilized, or grown.
The statements by Siemens customers described herein are based on results that were achieved in the customer’s unique setting. Since there is no “typical” hospital and many variables exist (e.g., hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption), there can be no guarantee that other customers will achieve the same results.
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 52,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2013 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of 2.0 billion euros. For further information, please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare