Siemens Healthineers maps out plans to expand use of photon-counting technology

Siemens Healthineers aims to scan one billion patients with photon-counting-based CT systems within the next decade, bringing this imaging within reach of more communities. More than 500,000 patients have been scanned with the system so far across a large installed base, in settings ranging from privately owned practices to large university hospitals.

Naeotom Alpha was launched in 2021 and is still the only commercially available system with photon-counting technology cleared for clinical use, says Siemens. The company is investing over £65 million to expand photon-counting CT manufacturing in Forchheim, Germany.

At RSNA 2023, Siemens Healthineers unveiled more than 10 new functionalities aimed at improving performance, especially in the cardiac arena. New heart imaging reconstruction enables consistent results for various detector widths. Another update improves the performance of scans of hearts that have extensive calcifications or stents, with spectral information and reconstruction of spectral results to give more functional insights.

“More and more clinical indications are emerging where photon-counting CT technology is uniquely positioned to help even in the most demanding settings,” said Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland CT business manager Carl Smith. “We are ready to move into a broader market and to take the next step in our ambition to positively impact millions of patients’ lives.”

Picture: The Naeotom Alpha was launched in 2021.

Published on page 3 of the January 2024 issue of RAD Magazine.