Methodist Hospitals recently signed an $11 million dollar agreement with Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. to replace all of its diagnostic imaging equipment with the latest technologies available. The first phase of this agreement to be completed in 2014 will be a multi-million dollar investment in Siemens’ cutting-edge CT and radiography equipment, including:
Two SOMATOM Definition Edge 128-slice CT systems, which provide clearer images with reduced scanning time and dose reduction technology using Siemens SAFIRE dose reduction algorithm, which can reduce dose to the patient by 54% to 60%. This system boasts enhanced neuro and cardiac imaging capabilities. Through these technologies, clinicians are able to make more sound diagnoses even for the most challenging cases, such as trauma and bariatric patients.
Four Mobilett Mira mobile digital X-ray systems with wireless technology, which are among the smallest on the market and have a rotating swivel arm, giving radiologists and technicians more flexibility to access patients and capture high-quality images with greater ease. These systems also boast short exposure times which results in radiation dose reduction for the patients.
A Luminos dRF MAX digital radiography/fluoroscopy room. This system combines radiography with a video screen, enabling real-time visualization of a body part or of a foreign body or dye though the body. The Luminos MAX System offers the advantages of both digital fluoroscopy and radiography in one system, with a flat panel detector for sharper imaging and the lowest table height for safer patient transfer.
Later phases of this project will include the addition of new MRI systems, nuclear medicine systems, ultrasound systems including systems with dedicated breast imaging capabilities, and further additions to the array of CT and radiography equipment available at Methodist facilities.
“Methodist Hospitals is committed to providing the highest quality of care, and this starts with the quality and range of our diagnostic imaging capabilities. We are pleased to be working with Siemens to bring our patients at both the Northlake and Southlake Campuses the best in imaging technology,” said Dr. Michael Davenport, President and Interim CEO at Methodist.
“Siemens is honored that the Methodist Hospitals organization, with its reputation for exceptional patient care, has chosen these Siemens systems for the initial phase of its ambitious multi-million dollar investment in advanced diagnostic imaging,” says Gregory Sorensen, MD, CEO of Siemens Healthcare North America. “Leading-edge medical imaging technology helps physicians reach an accurate diagnosis more efficiently.”
In clinical practice, the use of SAFIRE may reduce CT patient dose on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location, and clinical practice. A consultation with a radiologist and a physicist should be made to determine the appropriate dose to obtain diagnostic image quality for the particular clinical task. The following test method was used to determine a 54 to 60 percent dose reduction when using the SAFIRE reconstruction software: Noise, CT numbers, homogeneity, low-contrast resolution and high-contrast resolution were assessed in a Gammex 438 phantom. Low-dose data reconstructed with SAFIRE showed the same image quality compared to full-dose data based on this test. Data on file.