Royal Philips Electronics has been at the forefront of key developments in computed tomography (CT) technology throughout the last decade. It has contributed to the advancements in CT in terms of the amount of data captured in a single rotation of the X-ray tube.

Philips was the first to introduce 16-slice and then 40-slice CT scanners. Besides developing 64-slice scanners, the company last year introduced the 256-slice CT scanner, which enables whole organ imaging in a single rotation.

Known as the Brilliance iCT scanner, the new scanner technology offers improved rotation speed (from 0.5-second per rotation to a now unprecedented 0.27-second per rotation) and advancements in image processing, including new applications to evaluate stroke, perform CT angiography, coronary artery evaluation, virtual colonoscopy and lung nodule assessment.

According to Dr Oliver Klass of department of diagnostic radiology, University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany, the Brilliance iCT scanner employs the right synergy of speed, power, coverage and dose efficiency to provide consistent, accurate results for all patient exams.

He claims that no other CT scanner can match the Brilliance iCT scanner’s rotation speed (0.27sec/rotation) and power (up to 120 kilowatts), two parameters essential for advanced cardiac imaging. The unmatched power of the Brilliance iCT scanner also allows CT imaging of bariatric patients who once had no diagnostic imaging options.

The Brilliance iCT features Philips Essence technology consisting of new X-ray tubes, detectors and reconstruction design elements. This technology can provide detailed and clear three-dimensional images of an entire organ, including the heart and brain, and also show changes over time. All images can be accessed on any computer in a hospital or by colleagues and researchers remotely to make it easier for the whole team to share information.

The scanner delivers key clinical insight for a wide range of applications in radiology and cardiology while the enhanced visualisation will be valuable for doctors diagnosing and treating problems within the heart.

The Brilliance iCT scanner is also designed to reduce patients’ exposure to X-rays. The scan is much quicker, as the machine’s X-ray emitting gantry – the giant ring-shaped part that surrounds the patient – can rotate four times per second, which is 22 per cent faster than current systems. This benchmark speed benefits all protocols, not just cardiac, and is unique to the Philips iCT.

“The Brilliance iCT Scanner is designed to make a difference in how radiologists can prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor diseases and allow them to focus more on their patients.

“It allows radiologists to produce high-quality images with exceptional acquisition speed, including complete coverage of the heart and brain. It is so powerful that it can capture an image of the entire heart in just two beats while incorporating Philips technology that has reduced radiation doses by up to 80 per cent,” says Dr Klass.

He highlights that the Brilliance iCT scanner is an ideal solution to help healthcare providers meet the challenges of dealing with cardiovascular disease head-on.

In addition, it addresses the primary challenge facing multi-slice CT users today, which is how to manage the large datasets generated by large volume acquisitions while speeding up diagnosis time.

The solution uses thin-client technology to turn any PC on a hospital network into an advanced visualisation workstation. Simplified collaboration with clinicians throughout the care cycle is now as close as the nearest computer. Advanced applications may be run at the console or via the thin-client server to provide results when and where physicians need them.

By being much faster and providing the diagnostic accuracy required by clinicians, the scanner, Dr Klass says, supports improved patient care.