The very large 82 cm gantry of Somatom X.cite and its pleasant lighting offer a high level of comfort for the patients. Removable tablets – attached to the scanner using magnets – can be used to perform the scan.
Siemens Healthineers has introduced its new Somatom X.cite single-source CT scanner, together with the totally new myExam Companion user guiding system, based on algorithms developed through artificial intelligence (AI). The intelligent user guidance system pilots the med-tech through the workflow using specific questions. This intuitive user interface and the latest scanner hardware all work together to open up vast new possibilities. myExam Companion makes use of available patient data, such as sex, height, and age, and combines these with additional patient-specific information gathered by asking the user specific questions, for example about the presence of metal implants or the ability of patients to hold their breath. The scanner then optimizes the scan parameters accordingly to ensure the best possible scan conditions. In combination, these innovations help structure workflow more efficiently, smooth out differences in experience between the technicians, and achieve extremely high-quality results even in difficult diagnostic situations. The first CT scanner with myExam Companion incorporated is the new Somatom X.cite, featuring a Vectron x-ray tube that has previously only been used in Siemens’ Somatom Force dual-source CT scanner. In combination with its 82 cm gantry, Somatom X.cite can offer unprecedented image quality in the single-source segment, in addition to maximum patient comfort.
“We have been testing Somatom X.cite with the new software platform for the past two months with successful results. We have been impressed not only by the excellent images but also by the way the new user guidance system made the workflows faster. Also The large gantry width facilitates the examination of seriously ill patients”, commented Professor Christoph Stippich, Chairman and director, Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich.
The new intelligent user guidance system lets users exploit the full potential not only of the new Somatom X.cite, but also of the Somatom go. scanner platform, which is already being used successfully on the market. It’s now also possible to quickly share established examination protocols between scanners and without complications. Using AI, Siemens Healthineers has analyzed thousands of scanning processes and identified key questions about the general conditions for achieving optimized scanning results. This led to the development of decision trees that ask the users relevant questions at each stage, thus guiding them through the scan preparations without complications. Workflows and their results are also more standardized, since this makes it possible to reduce deviations at a patient and user level.
The very large 82 cm gantry and its pleasant lighting offer a high level of comfort for the patients. The medical technologists can prepare and perform the scan using removable tablets that are connected to the scanner via wi-fi and stored magnetically at the scanner. That means the technologists can remain alongside the patients until immediately before the scan and ensure the patients are better prepared. While the scan is in progress, the patients are instructed not only via the speaker on how to breathe, but also visually, using an easy-to-follow display. The med-techs keep their patients in view via a 2D camera integrated in the housing of the gantry. This all helps the patients’ sense of well-being and enables them to cooperate as much as possible during the scan. An optional 3D camera gathers additional information on the patients’ anatomy and automatically positions them in the isocenter.
Follow-up scan for coronary heart disease patient with multiple bypass: Coronary CME CTA spiral scan. Copyright: Image courtesy of University Hospital Erlangen, Germany
“Staff shortages, insufficient time, the development of standards for high quality diagnostics and decision support, and patient well-being are the major challenges in the day-to-day business of radiology,” says Dr. Philipp Fischer, Head of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers. “With Somatom X.cite and myExam Companion, we’re equipping our customers with unique tools to effectively overcome these hurdles.”
The high-end Vectron-x-ray tube and the Stellar Infinity Detector form a combination of technologies for clinical imaging that is unique in this segment. The image data thus generated are very well suited for processing using artificial intelligence, for example with the AI-Rad Companion Chest-CT from Siemens Healthineers. The tube voltage can be set between 70 kV to 150 kV in 10 kV increments, which enables even more individual adaptation to the patient’s anatomy.
Siemens Healthineers
Erlangen, Germany