Siemens Healthcare cast its dual-source CT scanner Somatom Definition as the clinical pioneer of multienergy scanning, presenting its Optimum Contrast software as the means for improving dual-energy images created using injected contrast agents. Image optimization algorithms process data obtained at different energy levels — 80 kVp to 140 kVp — to create optimal image quality for the kinds of structures being displayed (soft tissue and vasculature, for example), according to the company.
On May 13, from its booth on the exhibit floor of the MDCT symposium, Siemens also showcased 10 dual-energy applications, including syngo DE Heart PBV (Perfusion Blood Volume), which color marks nonperfused parts of the myocardium. Its DE CT application detects the presence and level of stenosis, as well as the location and extent of reduced perfusion in the myocardium. Syngo DE Lung Vessels helps evaluate patients suspected of having a pulmonary embolism, characterized by a sudden occlusion of blood vessels in the lungs. The "Lung Isolation" application isolates the entire organ to assess the perfusion situation without obstructing adjacent organs. Syngo DE Brain Hemorrhage helps distinguish between new and old cerebral hemorrhages.
