Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, based across five London hospitals including Hammersmith, Charing Cross and St Mary’s, has implemented the Biograph Vision PETCT scanner from Siemens Healthineers to enhance workflow efficiency. Installed at Charing Cross Hospital, the system will primarily be used for oncology, infection and neurology, including amyloid examinations, with plans to include PETCT cardiac imaging in the future.
Facing growing demands for PETCT imaging, the trust ran an extended hours service, scanning patients from 08:00 until 20:00 over six days to manage growing waiting lists. The implementation of the Biograph Vision has enabled the imaging department to increase patient throughput by 25 per cent, while also returning staff to non-extended working hours. Optimised scan times facilitate this improved workflow and have supported the trust in reducing appointment times by more than half, helping it work within NHS patient turnaround timeframes.
With remote education and advanced training before implementation, the system has been scanning with optimised protocols to enhance workflows. It is expected the addition of the Biograph Vision will enable the trust to secure further research opportunities with external organisations, with several studies already in the pipeline.
“We have received excellent feedback from both new and returning patients, with many commenting on the reduction in scanning time of the Biograph Vision compared to our old system,” said head of service nuclear medicine Dr Zarni Win. “Before, an examination would last for 25 to 30 minutes while now it is under 10 minutes. Additionally, we’ve seen a decrease in appointment cancellations due to the system being wider and faster so patients feel more at ease lying on the scanning table.”
The Biograph Vision is equipped with FlowMotion AI to reduce unnecessary exposure to CT radiation, allowing users to obtain whole body dynamic images, while helping minimise patient discomfort by optimising scan times. The technology also offers user independence through personalised and disease-specific protocols enabling enhanced clinical workflows. In addition, the high spatial resolution imaging of the Biograph Vision makes it easier to see small lesions, which can lead to more accurate quantification and improved clinical confidence when evaluating disease progression.
Picture: PETCT modality lead Luis Alves, Siemens Healthineers GB&I MI product specialist Melissa Vartzokas and regional sales manager Nichola Yates, with senior clinical technologist Bamidele Williams, healthcare assistant Leicester Marquez, senior nuclear medicine technologist Matthew Morgan, clinical technologist Robert Konstandelos, nuclear medicine technologist Niamh Bickford and head of service nuclear medicine Dr Zarni Win.
Published on page 11 of the September 2022 issue of RAD Magazine.