Four cardiac CT scanners approved for use in U.K.
The U.K.’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has assessed and approved four cardiac CT scanners for use by the National Health Service (NHS) to help diagnose and manage patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are difficult to image.
The four scanners are Siemens’ Somatom Definition Flash CT scanner, Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE, Philips’ Brilliance iCT and GE’s Discovery CT750. The scanners provide better temporal resolution, better spatial resolution and shorter acquisition times than earlier systems, according to NICE.
All four scanners are recommended as options for first-line imaging of coronary arteries in people with suspected stable CAD in whom imaging is difficult with older CT scanners, NICE stated. They are also recommended for first-line evaluation of disease progression to determine whether blood flow needs to be restored by replacing blood vessels in people with known CAD.
NICE noted that there are few uncertainties related to the systems, including accuracy in obese patients and those with high calcium scores and the accuracy of angiography, which was used as a gold standard for comparison purposes.
The four scanners are Siemens’ Somatom Definition Flash CT scanner, Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE, Philips’ Brilliance iCT and GE’s Discovery CT750. The scanners provide better temporal resolution, better spatial resolution and shorter acquisition times than earlier systems, according to NICE.
All four scanners are recommended as options for first-line imaging of coronary arteries in people with suspected stable CAD in whom imaging is difficult with older CT scanners, NICE stated. They are also recommended for first-line evaluation of disease progression to determine whether blood flow needs to be restored by replacing blood vessels in people with known CAD.
NICE noted that there are few uncertainties related to the systems, including accuracy in obese patients and those with high calcium scores and the accuracy of angiography, which was used as a gold standard for comparison purposes.
Evan Godt, Writer
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.