Elscint begins shipping CT Scope

Elscint of Rockleigh, NJ, has begun marketing its CT Scope interventional package for its CT-Twin and Helicat families of CT scanners. The package received 510(k) clearance in June and brings Elscint into the interventional CT segment. CT Scope was first displayed at the 1996 Radiological Society of North America meeting (SCAN Special Report 12/96).

CT Scope improves the performance of the company's CT-Twin scanner by helping radiologists track the exact position of biopsy needles. The package enables users to view partially reconstructed images at a rate of six frames per second, with a delay of one second, according to Chuck Armstrong, vice president of Elscint's CT/MRI division. CT Scope includes an in-room monitor and gantry controls, as well as real-time display of images as they are collected.

Elscint combines CT Scope with the company's LaserGuide marking technology. Using lasers mounted on the front of the scanner gantry, LaserGuide's software calculates the needle angle required for a particular biopsy and marks the point of entry. The company believes LaserGuide distinguishes CT Scope from interventional CT packages marketed by other companies, such as Aspire CI from Toshiba America Medical Systems of Tustin, CA.

CT Scope lists at approximately $100,000, including LaserGuide, according to Armstrong. Elscint has sold about six of the packages in the U.S. since receiving FDA clearance.