Radbook 2016

Since launching SOMATOM Definition in 2005, Siemens has continued to develop Dual Source technology in order to overcome the remaining challenges in computed tomog- raphy. This significant develop- ment has made it possible to produce diagnostic images of a patient’s beating heart and cor- onary vessels without having to artificially lower their heart rate, for example. Scanning speeds that were previously unimaginable are now achievable thanks to the temporal resolution of SOMATOM Definition Flash and SOMATOM Force Dual Source CT scanners. Increasingly, CT imaging is becoming standard in clin- ical routine for cardiology. A beating heart can now be scanned in fractions of a second with a radiation dose comparable to con- ventional X-ray imaging. From emergency medicine to pediat- rics, Dual Source computed tomography (DSCT) has sparked significant progress in numerous other fields of medical imaging – for all patients, regardless of their weight, age, and general state of health. Technological breakthrough Siemens built two measuring systems into the CT gantry positioned at 90 degrees from one another in order to achieve high- er temporal resolutions and spectral image information. With two X-ray tubes and two detectors in a single system, the foun- dations for DSCT were laid. The two X-ray tubes and detectors rotate around the patients, acquiring the imaging informa- tion twice as fast as single source scanners. WhentwoX-raytubesgenerateradiation at different energy levels – with the electri- cal voltage of one tube set to 80 kilovolts (kV), and the other to 140 kV, for example – the procedure is called“spectral dual energy imaging”. This technique allows physicians to differentiate between various materials in the body – tissue, bone, implants – with greater precision. It also allows functional parameters, such as the concentration of contrast medium in lungs, heart muscle, or tumors, to be displayed alongside morpho- logical information. Nowadays, computed tomography has DSCT to thank not only for its significantly higher speed, vastly improved image qual- ity across the entire field of measurement, and greatly increased sensitivity and speci- ficity. DSCT has also eliminated the need for numerous preparation and follow-up care procedures – including the administration of beta-blockers in cardiac CT or the seda- tion of babies – as well as for breath-hold- ing for thorax imaging. It has enabled perfusion imaging to be successfully inte- grated into clinical routine, and radiation doses to be drastically reduced. How Dual Source technology is revolutionizing computed tomography Fast diagnostics in emergency medicine When a patient with acute chest pain is brought to the emergency room, time is of the essence. Quick and reliable imaging is key to making a fast and conclusive diag- nosis. In order to improve the outcomes of patient treatment and to use the hospital’s resources most efficiently, physicians must perform a triple rule-out and eliminate the three most common causes of chest pain: myocardial infarction, pulmonary embo- lism, and aortic dissection. A one-stop diagnostic strategy has significant advan- tages over multiple individual tests and longer monitoring intervals. For these kinds of trauma cases, where a fast and reliable triple rule-out procedure could prove life-saving, the strengths of DSCT in cardiac and thoracic imaging make a tangible difference. RADBOOK 2016 10 ◼  COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

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