Philips introduces new scaleable gamma camera at RSNA meeting

Philips Medical Systems debuted a new flagship gamma camera on the RSNA exhibit floor: BrightView SPECT, a compact nuclear medicine camera that can be scaled to fit different needs and budgets.

The dual-head BrightView SPECT, which comes in value-priced and standard configurations, can handle any exam, including cardiac studies, according to Deepak Malhotra, senior director of marketing and business development for Philips nuclear medicine.

"The value configuration is for those who are extremely price-sensitive, who don't need all the bells and whistles," he said. "But with this version, they can still add some of the bells and whistles later."

Variable-angle detectors are designed to get extraordinarily close to the patient so as to reduce the "dead space" that can reduce resolution, according to Malhotra. Also included as a way to enhance quality is a body contouring technology called Bodyguard, which uses electromagnetic sensors to define patient contours.

"These sensors view the body or even an IV line as (electromagnetic) conducting materials to avoid," he said. "The older techniques cannot do this. If the patient were wearing a puffy shirt, it would keep the detectors a few centimeters more away from the body."

BrightView's open, 10-axis gantry affords increased patient comfort. Customizable automated data acquisition supports multiple acquisition protocols simultaneously. The system can be equipped with either 3/4-inch or 3/8- inch detector crystals.

BrightView's system capabilities and flexibility overshadow other high-performance gamma cameras in the Philips line, namely SkyLight and Forte. The company plans to keep both, however, in its nuclear medicine portfolio.