News | Press Releases

April 1, 2008

TOSHIBA DEMONSTRATES NEWEST CT SOFTWARE AT ACC

Recently Cleared by the FDA, ^SURECardio Prospective and Variable Helical Pitch Will Improve Patient Care and Workflow While Reducing Dose

TUSTIN, Calif., April 1, 2008 - Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. is committed to new CT clinical applications that improve throughput and workflow, while further reducing contrast and radiation dose to patients. At this year's American College of Cardiology annual meeting, Toshiba will demonstrate new applications that embody this commitment - ^SURECardio™ Prospective* and Variable Helical Pitch (vHP)*.

^SURECardio Prospective

Toshiba's ^SURECardio Prospective helps reduce patient 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 techniques. ^SURECardio Prospective will automatically detect and adjust to patients with irregular heartbeats, providing quicker, more conclusive exam results.

^SURECardio Prospective automates scan parameters and reconstruction based on the patient's heart rate. It also speeds exam time and eliminates the requirement for additional contrast used with the step-and-shoot method.

Variable Helical Pitch

Variable Helical Pitch (vHP) increases workflow and efficiency by enabling physicians to complete an exam of more than one anatomical region consecutively - i.e. without stopping to alter the helical pitch of the exam. This gives physicians flexibility needed for cardiovascular imaging. For example, patients who present with suspected chest pain can now undergo one CT exam to detect both heart disease and an aortic aneurysm in just one exam.

Toshiba is the first vendor to clinically introduce this type of technique.
"Previously, if a physician needed to image a patient's heart and aorta, either one higher dose or two separate exams would have been needed," explained Doug Ryan, senior director CT Business Unit, Toshiba America Medical Systems. "vHP reduces both patient radiation and contrast dose and also saves time because both regions can be scanned with one exam. This technique is a prime example of how Toshiba is innovating its technology to help patients and physicians."

vHP also saves time by producing one comprehensive image instead of two separate images that would result from separate scans. This eliminates the task of piecing together separate images.

Both clinical applications are available to purchase independently and will be offered with all new Aquilion™ 32 and 64 CT systems.

* works-in-progress

*^SURECardio and Aquilion are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation