Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE 320-detector row dynamic volume CT scanner

Toshiba America Medical Systems (Booth 3429) is highlighting milestones from the Aquilion ONE, the first dynamic volume CT system (with 320 detector rows) that debuted at RSNA last year. Toshiba is showcasing clinical cases from leading U.S. hospitals, as well as updating the medical community on its plans to validate the clinical and financial benefits of the system. The Aquilion ONE can scan an entire organ, including the heart or brain, in a single rotation because it covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra high-resolution 0.5 mm detector elements, according to the company. The system allows physicians to see not only a three-dimensional depiction of the organ, but also the organ’s dynamic blood flow and function for the first time. Capturing the organ in a single rotation at one moment in time eliminates the need to reconstruct slices from multiple points in time. This helps reduce exam time, as well as radiation and contrast dose.  

Toshiba also is showcasing automated workflow enhancements and clinical applications for the Aquilion CT line designed to reduce patient radiation dose, provide faster diagnosis and maximize patient comfort. They include SURECardio Prospective and Variable Helical Pitch. SureCardio Prospective helps reduce patient radiation dose by up to 80 percent during coronary CTA exams by using a helical acquisition technique to provide one continuous image instead of multiple images produced by the current step-and-shoot technique. The step-and-shoot technique can produce inconclusive images, particularly for patients with irregular heartbeats, leading to increased exam times and radiation dose for the patient. SureCardio Prospective will automatically adjust to patients with irregular heartbeats, providing quicker, more conclusive exam results and eliminates the need for additional contrast used with the step-and-shoot method.
    
Variable Helical Pitch (vHP) on the Aquilion CT line increases workflow and efficiency by enabling physicians to complete an exam of more than one anatomical region consecutively, such as without stopping to alter the helical pitch of the exam. This gives physicians the flexibility needed for cardiovascular imaging. For example, patients with suspected chest pain can now undergo one CT exam that provides physicians information to assist in the diagnosis of both heart disease and aortic aneurysms.