Cardiac imaging system reduces scan time

A new SPECT cardiac imaging system that uses a cadmium zinc telluride-based high-speed, high-resolution camera dramatically reduces imaging time for patients while also reducing radiation exposure.

With conventional nuclear cardiac imaging, patients must hold their arms above their heads for two cardiac scans taking about 15 to 20 minutes each. GE's Discovery NM 530c reduces that time to three to five minutes per scan.

The new CZT-based nuclear cameras have already made a big difference in evaluating patients for coronary artery disease, said Dr. Milena J. Henzlova, a professor of medicine at Mount Sinai, the first facility in the U.S. to use the new device routinely.

“In addition to significantly reducing patient radiation exposure and increasing the number of patients we examine each day, this technology provides a cost-effective way for us to diagnose heart disease quickly and with confidence so that patients receive treatment sooner,” Henzlova said.