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Fujita Health University Announces World's First Area Detector CT Scanner: Installation and Clinical Examinations

Posted on: Monday, 26 November 2007, 09:01 CST

Fujita Health University today announced the installation of the most advanced diagnostic imaging equipment available -- the AquilionONE™, manufactured by Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation. It was installed on October 20th, and the system has already been used in examinations for more than 400 clinical cases. This area detector computed tomography system dramatically improves patient care with a significantly shorter scan time, which is especially beneficial in emergency cases.

"Scanning the world's first patient with this system was a unique opportunity. It was a memorable moment," commented Kazuhiro Katada, Chairman and Professor, Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University.

Since the development of helical scanning, Dr. Katada and his team have been deeply involved in the development of many Toshiba scanners. For the area detector CT scanner, they once again contributed to development, and gave Toshiba engineers considerable feedback from the viewpoint of patient care, diagnostic capabilities, and efficiency. One remarkable result of such feedback is the size of the detector in the new system. After Dr. Katada had evaluated a prototype unit in the early stages of development, which had 12.8 cm coverage in the patient-axis direction, he and the engineering team agreed to implement wider coverage in the final product, without compromising the 0.5-mm slice thickness. As a result of this collaboration, the AquilionONE, unlike any other CT system, can scan a whole organ -- such as the heart or brain -- in a single rotation. It permits high spatial resolution, with a slice thickness of 0.5 mm and a maximum coverage of 16 cm. As well as contributing to detector development, Dr. Katada provided many revolutionary ideas for image post-processing.

"When we saw the first patient scan using the system, we were very pleased to see the AquilionONE operating in line with the feedback we had provided, and image quality is especially remarkable," noted Dr. Katada.

With the system's dynamic volume scanning, physicians can not only see a three-dimensional view of an organ, but also its blood flow and dynamic function. This reduces examination time as well as the exposure dose and contrast medium dose, and provides significantly more accurate diagnosis, as the organ is scanned in a single rotation and in a single moment.

"The area detector CT scanner will improve diagnostic imaging dramatically and enhance the ability of physicians to diagnose serious diseases faster and more safely. Its capabilities are far beyond those of current MDCT scanners. This puts it in a totally new category," said Dr. Katada.

Note: AquilionONE is a trademark of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.

About Fujita Health University

Based in Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Fujita Health University provides community healthcare services. Established in 1964, the facility currently has 1,505 beds in the main hospital and satellites, and a school of medicine. Courses offered include nursing, therapy, and medical technology.

For more information, see http://www.fujita-hu.ac.jp/english/

Source: Business Wire

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