CT Scanner Upgrade Will Introduce a New Range of Patient-Centered Benefits

28th, Aug 2020

Kingsbridge Private Hospital is delighted to have recently upgraded their CT Scanner. The new model which is a Philips iCT elite scanner will provide a new range of patient-centred benefits.

The scanner was installed on the 27^th August at 5am.
 
Kelly McCartney, CT Lead Radiographer explains the range of exciting new improvements that our patients will benefit from:

• Patient-centred, clinical quality scanning with high diagnostic confidence, lower radiation dose and faster scan times. 
• IMR is Philips “new era” reconstruction software that allows scanning to be completed at very low radiation doses. The radiation dose is tailored to each individual patient to ensure their image quality is maintained and radiation dose kept as low as reasonably practicable.  We will also have iDose, another reconstruction software that helps prevent image artefacts, say from metalwork from previous surgery which, can greatly impair how the structures around the metal can be viewed.  With these new reconstruction methods those artefacts are almost totally removed.
• Larger scan detector width, meaning more body area is scanned per rotation of the machine. We currently have a 64-slice scanner, this new one will be a 256 slice.
• Faster rotation times for the machine. This combined with the wider detector can shorten scan times and breatholding for the patient from 10-15 seconds currently to 3-4secs. This will make scanning easier for patients with difficulty holding their breath.
• Cardiac CT - This is an advanced cardiovascular imaging system with fast rotations times of 0.27secs. Increased compliance for patients in cardiac CT as currently this scan is an extended breath hold of 8-10 seconds. The new scanner will scan the entire heart in less than 2 seconds. The radiation dose for a cardiac CT will be reduced by a minimum of 60%. 
• Huge reduction in radiation dose - 60-80% reduction in patient radiation dose with the new scanner. Currently a CT chest is equivalent to around 350 chest x-ray doses, our new scanner can make a whole CT chest the “same” as one chest Xray!
• Intravenous contrast injection volumes will also be reduced, meaning less risk to patients.

Do you know the difference in an X-Ray, CT or MRI Scan?

Most people have a good idea of what an X-ray image is and how it can help establish if there is a fractured bone or, by using appropriate dyes, what the outline of a structure is like and if there is an abnormality.

People also have a fairly clear idea of how a Radiologist can capture what a solid organ looks like using sound waves which bounce off structures inside the body.

On the other hand, CT scans fire X-rays all around the body to build up a detailed 3 dimensional picture of the part in question.

So how does CT and X-Ray differ from MRI?

An MRI Scanner depends on the body being made up largely of water. The water molecules each have charged particles which align along the magnetic field produced by the MRI scanner.

By disturbing these charged particles and observing how they appear when they realign, a computer builds up an image similar to that seen on a digital camera which uses pixels. Different tissues appear in a characteristic way meaning abnormalities can be detected easily which is why MRI may be used to examine almost any part of the body. You may be referred for an MRI scan if you have sports injuries, spinal problems, musculoskeletal problems, neurological problems, vascular problems and bowel problems.  MRI is also used to assess how effective previous treatment has been.

Patients are referred to MRI by their GP, Consultant, Physiotherapist, Osteopath or Chiropractor (for spinal problems). Please remember that being referred for an MRI scan does not automatically mean that there is anything potentially seriously wrong, just that the MRI will provide a better picture, especially for soft tissue surrounded by bones than say an X-Ray. 

If referred, Kingsbridge Private Hospital provides same day appointments and allows patients to be seen comfortably using a state-of-the-art MRI scanner with a wide tunnel to help with claustrophobia and many scans offering headfirst or feet first options as well as ambient lighting and choice of music.

For more information on our MRI and scanning services at Kingsbridge Private Hospital please contact 028 9066 7878 or click here.