Flash CT is newest addition to SCH's "science of feeling better"

Swedish Covenant Hospital has recently acquired and installed the SOMATOM Definition Flash CT, Siemens’ latest cardiac imaging technology. This technology offers the fastest tests with the lowest doses of radiation available for our patients, without any compromise in image quality. Given recent news about CT safety and Americans’ increased exposure to potentially cancer-causing radiation, SCH could not have picked a better time to offer patients this technology.

SCH is the first hospital in Chicago to use this innovative technology, which positions us one step closer in our efforts to excel as the leading independent hospital in Chicago.

The Radiology department began performing general CTs with the new machine in May and plans to begin using the CT for heart patients in mid-July.

How it works
Using the Flash CT, technologists and physicians will acquire scans of the thorax, the heart or both at the same time in 0.6 seconds or less, which is three times faster than conventional CTs. A scan of the heart alone can be performed in only 250 milliseconds, which translates to less than half a heartbeat.

The Flash CT is equipped with two spiraling X-ray sources and two detectors that simultaneously revolve around the patient’s body and produce high resolution, quality images which are far superior to conventional CT images, thus extending diagnostic possibilities.

The speed and precision of the technology means patients are exposed to the lowest dosage of radiation possible. The heart can be scanned at a radiation exposure level that is 90 percent lower than most single-source CT scanners, and three times lower than the background radiation a person naturally absorbs in a year.

Patient benefits and capabilities
Combining speed, safety, precision and advanced diagnostics, the Flash CT:

• Minimizes radiation exposure.
• Decreases testing time, a benefit particularly for patients who have difficulty remaining still or holding their breath.
• Offers testing opportunities to patients who previously could not be tested, including the elderly, children, and emergency and ICU patients.
• Improves comfort for patients with chronic medical conditions who require frequent CT imaging.
• Offers precise, non-invasive cardiac imaging which produces more accurate diagnostics.
• Quickly produces 2-D and 3-D images, allowing for faster turnaround time for results.

Impact on SCH
Many Swedish Covenant Hospital departments and service lines will benefit from the new Flash CT, including:

Radiology — Improved imaging quality clarifies results and diagnostics in all areas requiring CT scans, including vascular, neurological and orthopedic.

Cardiology — Low-to-moderate-risk patients who enter our Accredited Chest Pain Center can receive a CT or Coronary CT Angiography and determine if symptoms are related to heart disease, thus eliminating the need for more invasive testing.

Emergency Department — Flash CT scans are used to quickly rule out or identify high-risk diagnoses pertaining to cardiac events, brain tissue perfusion and stroke protocols long before the patient is admitted.

Pediatrics — Faster scanning times reduces artifacts previously associated with movement of infants and children during tests.

Like the recent acquisition of the daVinci Si HD robotic surgical system and new X-ray technology from Fuji, acquiring this CT is a great example of how SCH has continuously invested in new technology to promote the growth of the hospital.

If you have any questions about this new technology, please contact Dr. Bruce Silver, chairman of Radiology, at (773) 878-8200 ext. 5405.