Toshiba's Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT system improves clinical pathway for patients in ERs

Emergency departments are challenged to streamline patient diagnoses and treatment for a variety of conditions and require a CT system capable of imaging patients quickly, accurately and safely. Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Aquilion^® ONE 320-detector row CT system is designed for such settings and used to evaluate a range of patients, including cardiac, neuro, stroke and pediatric.

“Recently, we had a patient come into the ER with shortness of breath and acute chest pains. Blood tests showed she was not having a heart attack, so she was given a low-dose CT scan to determine the problem”

When patients come to a hospital's emergency department, it can take hours to diagnose and treat the patient when time is of the essence. Toshiba's Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT system has the ability to improve the clinical pathway for patients by reducing diagnosis time. Unlike any other CT system available, the Aquilion ONE covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra-high resolution 0.5 mm detector elements to image an entire organ, such as the brain or heart, in a single rotation. The system's rapid rotation also reduces the radiation dose a patient receives, providing a safer exam for patients.

For cardiac patients, the Aquilion ONE can image the entire heart in less than a single heartbeat, saving critical time in emergency situations. Additionally, for patients presenting with stroke symptoms, the Aquilion ONE has the ability to show dynamic function, such as blood flowing through the brain, enabling rapid and accurate diagnosis when time is critical.

The Aquilion ONE is also designed to provide a safe, comfortable imaging experience for pediatric patients. Traditionally, when children are imaged using multi-detector CT, sedation can be required to keep the patient still long enough to obtain a clear diagnostic image. The Aquilion ONE's rapid acquisition time means less patient sedation is required and the patient receives less radiation dose.

Michael Poon, M.D., director, Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program, Department of Radiology, and professor, Radiology and Medicine, at Stony Brook University Medical Center, has implemented the new CT scanner to help diagnose some of his patients.

"Recently, we had a patient come into the ER with shortness of breath and acute chest pains. Blood tests showed she was not having a heart attack, so she was given a low-dose CT scan to determine the problem," said Dr. Poon. "The 320-detector row scanner captured minute structural and functional details of her heart and surrounding vessels. The imaging results of her heart and vessels indicated that she was, in fact, having a heart attack. It would have taken additional tests and time to determine her condition if we were not able to use the CT scanner."

"For busy emergency departments, the ability to streamline diagnosis, reduce dose and improve the clinical pathway is critical to providing patients with top-tier care," said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. "Toshiba is committed to improving patient safety by making medical imaging as fast, accurate and safe as possible for patients. The Aquilion ONE delivers on this commitment with its unique ability to reduce diagnosis time from hours to minutes."