Siemens puts new spin on PET/CT with advanced hybrid scanner
Siemens Healthcare showcased at RSNA 2008 a PET/CT designed with radiologists in mind. It emphasizes CT performance and casts PET as the “smart contrast” that enhances the dynamic information delivered by CT. Siemens is pitching the CT component of its new Biograph mCT (molecular CT) as the most important part of the scanner and the PET component as delivering complementary information.
Siemens Healthcare showcased at RSNA 2008 a PET/CT designed with radiologists in mind. It emphasizes CT performance and casts PET as the "smart contrast" that enhances the dynamic information delivered by CT. Siemens is pitching the CT component of its new Biograph mCT (molecular CT) as the most important part of the scanner and the PET component as delivering complementary information.
The company is framing the Biograph mCT as a wise capital investment, arguing that the hybrid is actually two scanners in one.
The high-performance Somatom Definition AS (Adaptive Spiral) CT part of the hybrid, which generates up to 128 slices per 300-msec rotation, can be used separately, according to Markus Lusser, vice president of global marketing at Siemens Molecular Imaging. Alternatively, it can be used in combination with the PET component, which can complete PET scans in as little as five minutes. The product, therefore, can function as a CT and as a PET/CT.
On the RSNA floor, Lusser explained that its new member of the Biograph family not only serves both patient populations, but offers an economy of scale as both scanners can be sited in a single room and maintained under a single service contract. Adding to the appeal of the new hybrid are patient comfort features. Miniaturization and integration reduce the tunnel to just a meter long, about two-thirds the size of conventional PET/CTs. This, along with a wide bore measuring 78 cm, should reduce patient anxiety, according to the company.
The CT component can support 40, 64, or 128 slices. The positron imaging components can be arranged to allow anywhere from entry-level to the most advanced PET imaging, including time-of-flight studies. If clinical requirements change in the future, the Biograph mCT can be upgraded to deliver more slices and higher definition PET, including time-of-flight capabilities, Lusser said.
All the oncology uses that have come to characterize PET/CT over the past seven years are available, along with advanced applications conferred by premium CT. These include the ability to superimpose blood flow over fused PET and CT images of tumors, which could influence surgical and radiation therapy planning. Virtual colonoscopy might be combined with PET in the future, just as the superfast rotation time and number of slices per rotation open opportunities in cardiology in combination with PET myocardial perfusion.
Photon-Counting Computed Tomography: Eleven Takeaways from a New Literature Review
May 27th 2025In a review of 155 studies, researchers examined the capabilities of photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) for enhanced accuracy, tissue characterization, artifact reduction and reduced radiation dosing across thoracic, abdominal, and cardiothoracic imaging applications.
Can AI Predict Future Lung Cancer Risk from a Single CT Scan?
May 19th 2025In never-smokers, deep learning assessment of single baseline low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated a 79 percent AUC for predicting lung cancer up to six years later, according to new research presented today at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2025 International Conference.
Can Emerging AI Software Offer Detection of CAD on CCTA on Par with Radiologists?
May 14th 2025In a study involving over 1,000 patients who had coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) exams, AI software demonstrated a 90 percent AUC for assessments of cases > CAD-RADS 3 and 4A and had a 98 percent NPV for obstructive coronary artery disease.
