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Video Report: World's first dual source CT Scanner
could change the way doctors treat heart disease
February 2007 (Medialink)
-- According to the American Heart Association,
nearly 80 million US adults suffer from some sort of
cardiovascular disease, and it is estimated heart
disease kills one American every 36 seconds.
Experts say a new CT
scanner – one many are calling revolutionary – could
change the way doctors detect and treat this deadly
disease.
The Siemens Somatom
Definition is the world's first dual source CT
scanner. That means it uses 2 X-ray sources at the
same time while allowing doctors to scan every
beating heart quickly and using less radiation than
ever before.
Combined with the
highly defined images created by the system, doctors
say the Definition helps them to exclude or confirm
the presence of heart disease with more confidence
than that of earlier CT scanners. The new system
helps them to detect heart disease earlier, when
treatment is often more effective.
It's expected the
Definition could have its biggest impact in the
emergency room when a patient arrives with chest
pains. Doctors would be able to rule out if a
patient is undergoing a pulmonary embolism, a
cardiac coronary event, or an aortic dissection in
20 seconds ultimately improving patient care.