Developed by Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, the Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT is the only medical imaging system that can image an entire organ like the brain or heart in one rotation, and show real-time function, including blood flow and movement, in less time than traditional multi-detector row CT systems. It also uses less radiation than traditional multi-detector row CT systems and allows for imaging with limited-to-no patient sedation.
“The Aquilion ONE’s advanced CT technology is uniquely suited to support many of our specialties, including some distinct groups like pediatrics and limb preservation,” explained Dr. John Gerhold, medical director, Department of Radiology, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL. “The Aquilion ONE’s ability to image large anatomical regions and show dynamic function, while lowering radiation and sedation, is helping us improve patient care and safety for a range of patients. Its fast acquisition time images patients in a fraction of a second, requiring little-to-no patient sedation, which is easier and safer for patients, especially infants and children.”
Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center is home to the Denver Clinic for Extremities at Risk, one of the world’s leading limb preservation programs. The Aquilion ONE can be especially useful in orthopedic cases as it is the only CT system able to show dynamic function, such as blood flow and joint movement. The Aquilion ONE will be used in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of limb preservation patients at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center. Using the Aquilion ONE, physicians can acquire 4D dynamic images of limbs to better assess the viability, blood flow and anatomical function.
Another reason to select dynamic volume CT is for its pediatric applications. The Aquilion ONE can significantly lower patient radiation dose exposure and decrease the sedation needed for exams. Traditionally, when children are imaged using multi-detector CT, sedation is required to keep the patient still long enough to obtain a clear diagnostic image. The Aquilion ONE’s fast exam time means less patient sedation is required. Also, the system includes Toshiba’s SUREExposure Pediatric software to automatically measure the size and age of each patient and tailor radiation dose to ensure the patient receives only the radiation required to obtain a clear diagnostic image.
Introduced in November 2007, dynamic volume CT scans an entire organ in a single pass and produces 4D videos that show an organ’s structure, its movement and blood flow. In comparison, a 64-slice, 128-slice or 256-slice CT scan can only capture a portion of an organ in a single pass, requiring physicians to “stitch together” multiple scans of an organ to get a full image. The new technology helps reduce multiple exposures to radiation and exam time.
“The Aquilion ONE was designed for current healthcare environment, where leading medical centers, like Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, require advanced imaging technology to support a range of medical specialties, like emergency medicine and pediatrics,” said Doug Ryan, senior director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba. “While the Aquilion ONE is instrumental in affecting patient outcomes in these more traditional specialty areas, we have seen a number of sites use the system for new applications as Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center has done with its limb preservation program. Therein lies the power of this new system — to help physicians deliver better outcomes to a wider variety of patient groups.”
