Fast scans improve Lothian’s paediatric imaging

NHS Lothian’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh fully opened earlier this year, providing state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for patients and families. At the heart of a new diagnostic imaging strategy is a CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems that will speed up procedures and lower dose for paediatric patients.

The Aquilion One Genesis Edition CT includes Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) reconstruction technology. Canon says it has helped to make complex paediatric examinations easier, reduce dose and improve diagnostic accuracy.

“The dose reduction for our paediatric patients is amazing,” said CT radiographer Jennifer Stewart. “The 16cm detector can achieve a volume scan in 0.5 seconds on a head, which is really helpful when examining young patients, and we no longer need anaesthetics or strategies to try and keep them still for so long. This fast speed really helps us perform the procedure quicker and is better for the patient concerned.

“The in-room ‘handy snap’ start button is a great feature for gaining that crucial one second of stillness to get the best image of a young patient and stay close to them for reassurance,” Stewart continued. “The area finder with laser collimation functionality helps plan the scan range and field of view at the gantry without needing traditional planning steps such as a scanogram.”

Picture: Canon Medical Systems UK account manager Iain Gray with radiographers Claire Donoghue and Jennifer Stewart and consultant radiologist Dr Simon McGurk.

Published on page 32 of the October 2021 issue of RAD Magazine.