Orlando, FL (October 28, 2009) – Today, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children becomes the first dedicated pediatric hospital in the world to install a new Siemens CT scanner. Siemens Healthcare’s SOMATOM® Definition Flash features the lowest radiation dose and the fastest scan speed on the market, two characteristics that make it ideal for pediatric patients.
The dual-source computed tomography (CT) scanner requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomical details. The low dose feature is vital to children since the younger the patient, the greater the impact radiation can have.
With the Definition Flash scanner, images are acquired in the blink of an eye making breath holds for children optional and eliminating the need for most patients to be sedated.
“We are extremely pleased to be the first dedicated pediatric hospital in the world to provide this new technology,” said John Bozard, president, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. “For our young patients, the SOMATOM Definition Flash scanner means faster images, reduced radiation exposure, and significantly lessens the need for contrast dye injections.”
Decreased radiation exposure with the new scanner is made possible by a special application that selectively reduces the radiation exposure to dose-sensitive anatomical regions, such as thyroid, gonads, and breast region, by as much as 40 percent. An adaptive dose shield blocks irrelevant radiation, thus ensuring that only a clinically essential radiation exposure occurs. This enables an additional 25 percent reduction of the dose required for routine examinations.
As children and babies are at a great risk to radiation exposure, the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle is, in particular, a more sensitive issue when concerning younger patients and CT scans.
“Siemens is the leader in pediatric CT imaging, not only in highest image quality, but most importantly, in patient safety and comfort that creates peace of mind in the community,” said Kulin Hemani, vice president, Computed Tomography, Siemens Healthcare. “The speed of the SOMATOM Definition Flash, combined with the lowest deliverable dose, ensures that pediatric patients receive the best care and in the fastest scan time.”
Owing to its high scanning speed, the SOMATOM Definition Flash also features new possibilities for performing CT examinations of the heart. This represents up to a much lower radiation dose than is obtainable with conventional systems. For the first time ever, the heart can be examined at a radiation exposure level that is three times lower than the background radiation a person naturally absorbs in a year. The SOMATOM Definition Flash is the only CT scanner on the market that enables the use of noninvasive cardiological diagnostic techniques with routine applications at the lowest possible radiation exposure levels routinely below 1 mSv.
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com to learn more about all of our specialties.
Siemens Healthcare Sector
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens is the only company to offer customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 49,000 employees worldwide and operates in over 130 countries. In fiscal year 2008 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 11.2 billion euros and profit of 1.2 billion euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare.