Toshiba America Medical Systems releases new cardiac CT software for Aquilion systems

Mar 1 2010

Responding to the cardiac CT market’s need for superior image quality with lower radiation doses, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.,, Inc., has unveiled new cardiac software enhancements available now for the Aquilion^® ONE and Aquilion Premium CT systems. The new cardiac CT software package is designed to reduce radiation exposure while maintaining outstanding image quality.

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The new software upgrades will improve cardiac CT imaging in the following ways:

• New ONE Beat Prospective Reconstruction shortens the interval window and reduces radiation exposure time. This enhancement alone reduces radiation dose by 21 percent over the previous software, as the more efficient imaging lowers the radiation exposure to the patient.
• Real Time Beat Control calculates the running real time average of the heart rate to precisely predict the next heart beat for a more accurately timed scan. Important for patients with arrhythmia or unstable heart rates, Real Time Beat Control ensures better accuracy and improves image quality while reducing repetitive exams.
• Optimized timing of ^SUREStart can determine contrast uptake time for a more accurate image. The upgraded ^SUREStart makes the transition from bolus chase to cardiac scanning virtually seamless. This feature creates better contrast timing, improves image quality and lowers contrast dose.

These upgraded software features will improve upon the already robust ability of the Aquilion ONE and Aquilion Premium in providing highly accurate diagnoses for a variety of cardiac cases.

“Giving our customers the tools they need to conduct low-dose exams is a priority for Toshiba,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “These software enhancements to the Aquilion ONE and Aquilion Premium will help the medical community reduce radiation to patients while also ensuring high-quality images to enhance diagnostic confidence.”

Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT features 320-detector rows and is able to scan an entire organ in a single pass and produce 4D videos showing an organ’s structure, its movement and blood flow. In comparison, a 64-slice, 128-slice or 256-slice CT scan can only capture a portion of an organ in a single pass, requiring physicians to “stitch together” multiple scans of an organ to get a full image. The new technology helps reduce multiple exposures to radiation and exam time.

The Aquilion Premium was designed not only to improve clinical accuracy but also to make procedures safer and more efficient while increasing patient comfort and operator convenience. The system features 160-detector rows to image up to eight cm of anatomy in a single gantry rotation (as fast as 0.35 seconds). The system has 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 eight cm dynamic scanning capability.