Mobility now for the 64-slice CT

With the Somatom Definition AS in Ramsay Health Care’s spacious mobile trailer are (from left) Siemens regional sales and corporate business manager Vince Golledge, Ramsay Imaging general manager Sasha Burns, Siemens CT applications specialist Anna Sedgwic, Siemens CT applications specialist Greg Baker, Ramsay Imaging lead CT radiographer Stephen Wilson, senior radiographer Matt Evans and clinical manager Emma Anderson.

Ramsay Health Care UK, in conjunction with Siemens, has installed a 64-slice CT scanner into a mobile vehicle.  The Somatom Definition AS is a leading high-end multislice CT system.

It is being used to provide a service to eight hospitals within the Ramsay Health Care group and replaced a six-slice Siemens Somatom Emotion. 

The 64-slice scanner has extended the range of procedures now available at the Ramsay sites to include virtual colonoscopy, calcium scoring, coronary CT and orthopaedic imaging.

Scans are acquired with 0.6mm detectors and, due to Z-sharp technology, this gives spatial resolution of 0.33mm for every scan.  Fast rapid acquisitions are also possible as the Straton x-ray tube allows rotation speeds of up to 0.33s and requires no cooling delays. 

The high temporal resolution of up to 165ms, combined with extremely fast coverage at 64 slices per rotation, delivers crystal-clear images, free of movement artifacts and showing the finest anatomical details. 

Patients scanned on the Definition AS will benefit from the minimal space requirements and larger 78cm bore that easily accommodates the claustrophobic or obese. 

See the full story on page 36 of the July 2009 issue of RAD Magazine.