The team at AdventHealth DeLand is proud to welcome the Siemens SOMATOM® Definition Flash CT scanner to our facility — a technological advancement to improve the imaging process for patients and health care providers alike. This machine is one of the newest dual-source computed tomography (CT) scanners, providing a much faster and more precise imaging experience.
A CT scan is a combination of detailed X-ray images, usually of a specific area of your body where your health care provider has discovered a cause for concern or possible abnormality. A radiologist then reviews the images to diagnose a disease or injury.
Dual-source scanners, such as the SOMATOM® Definition Flash machine, are especially helpful in diagnosing cardiac issues, such as heart disease, tumors or blood clots.
What’s Different About This Technology?
According to Matthew Sharp, B. S. R. T.(R)(CT), an AdventHealth CT Modality Manager, flash scanners have two X-ray tubes and two dedicated detectors, a combination known as “dual source.” Dual-source scanners allow for faster scan times while providing more data to the health care provider without increasing radiation to the patient.
A complete scan now requires less than ten seconds, so scans no longer have to be interrupted if a patient is having trouble sitting still. And for patients who have anxieties in closed spaces or difficulty holding their breath during scans, those discomforts can now be alleviated.
Compared to a single-source scanner, the dual-source scanner allows images to be taken during a cardiac examination at much higher heart rates. The target heart rate for the older machines used was 60bpm or less, whereas the new machine's target is 75bpm or less.
“This helps reduce the amount of time the patient must be admitted in our care while attempting to bring down their heart rate,” Sharp explains.
Are There Added Risks?
Computed tomography scans use X-rays, which produce ionizing radiation. Radiation can pose a risk of damaging DNA and a small chance of cancer occurring years or decades later. However, with very low doses of radiation, the benefits outweigh the potential risks.
The SOMATOM® Definition Flash machine provides more information to providers without increasing the radiation dose given to the patient during the CT scan, so there is not any added risk when using this machine.
Trust Your Imaging Care to Our Expert Team
When you need a CT scan or another imaging service, the AdventHealth DeLand team is ready to care for you. For more information on imaging options available at AdventHealth DeLand or to schedule an appointment, please click here.
