Aquilion Premium CT system installed by Huntington Hill Imaging Center

Nov 4 2009

Today’s high-volume health care facilities require premium diagnostic imaging equipment that can image patients faster, with the best possible diagnostic accuracy. Huntington Hill Imaging Center has installed Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.’s Aquilion^® Premium CT system, to enable them to meet the demands of their growing business. The Aquilion Premium features 160 detector rows to image up to 8 cm of anatomy in a single gantry rotation (as fast as 0.35 seconds). Huntington Hill, which is connected to the 636-bed Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., is the first imaging center in the United States offering this advanced CT technology.

“The Aquilion Premium’s advanced imaging capabilities provide the versatility and diagnostic accuracy to image the wide range of patient conditions seen at our high-volume center,” explained Dr. Christopher G. Hedley, medical director, Radiology, Huntington Hill Imaging Center and president, The Hill Medical Corporation. “The system’s fast, comprehensive exam has improved patient comfort and safety by allowing us to complete exams in mere minutes with reduced radiation. Not only has the Aquilion Premium enhanced the patient exam experience, but also it has improved staff workflow by performing exams quickly and efficiently.”

Huntington Memorial Hospital, which uses Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE to support its new emergency department, sends many of its non-emergency radiology patients to Huntington Hill for advanced imaging, including cardiac CTA, neuro perfusion and other radiology applications, using the Aquilion Premium. On average, Huntington Hill completes 1,000 CT exams monthly, many of which are performed using the Aquilion Premium.

The Aquilion Premium was designed to not only improve clinical accuracy, but also to make procedures safer and more efficient while increasing patient comfort and operator convenience. It features a 660 lb. patient weight couch to accommodate larger patients; front and (optional) rear table footswitches to facilitate workflow; and a single push button enabling the gantry and couch to return to the home position automatically. It also comes standard with the 72 kW generator and advanced features like iStation display and 8 cm dynamic scanning capability.

“With Huntington Memorial using the Aquilion ONE and Huntington Hill using the Aquilion Premium, the hospital system now has two of the industry’s premier systems,” said Doug Ryan, senior director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba. “The Aquilion Premium not only meets Huntington Hill’s current needs, but is field upgradeable to the Aquilion ONE should their imaging needs change. This gives the medical community access to advanced technology today, while allowing physicians and administrators to plan for their future needs.”