ATLANTA, Mar 14, 2006 -- Two years since its first installation, the SOMATOM Sensation(R) 64 slice computed tomography (CT) system from Siemens Medical Solutions continues to help cardiologists save lives. In addition, early research with the SOMATOM(R) Definition indicates increased visualization in cardiac applications - two trends that prove the growing power of CT in cardiac care.

"CT coronary angiography has changed the standard approach to a patient at risk of cardiovascular disease," said Norman E. Lepor, M.D., director of coronary imaging, Westside Medical Imaging, Beverly Hills. "We've moved from the world of relative risk assessment to defining the absolute risk of a patient suffering from coronary artery disease, allowing for earlier, and more targeted and aggressive treatment to prevent cardiac events."

Credited with the world's largest installed base of 64-slice CT - with more than 600 sites worldwide - Siemens' CT technologies are leaders in non-invasive diagnostics. These systems provide cardiac care professionals with the resources needed to increase departmental productivity and deliver high-quality, cost-effective patient care. Innovations including the STRATON(R) X-ray tube, z-Sharp(TM) Technology and the new CT Clinical Engines are a few of the reasons why Siemens' CT has been identified as the next generation of cardiac imaging. These technologies provide an early and less painful look at possible heart problems, as compared to invasive procedures, with fast turnaround time that facilitates faster intervention and treatment when necessary.
Redefining CT Cardiac Imaging

Continuing this trend and setting new standards in cardiac diagnosis, Siemens SOMATOM Definition, the world's first dual source CT system, can image patients with high or irregular heart rates without beta blocker medication that have been previously needed to slow a patient's heart. The system also enables physicians to better identify and characterize plaque, an early indicator of heart disease.

"With more than 71 million adults in the U.S. having one or more types of cardiovascular disease, the need to detect and diagnose conditions earlier is evident," said Scott Goodwin, vice president, CT Division, Siemens Medical Solutions. "Siemens SOMATOM Definition brings cardiac imaging to the next level and meets the demands of today's cardiologists, enabling physicians to diagnose disease earlier and more cost effectively."

Introduced in November 2005, the SOMATOM Definition is faster than every beating heart and capable of imaging full cardiac detail with as much as 50 percent less radiation exposure compared to traditional cardiac CT scans. Studies are already being conducted to test the imaging capabilities of dual source CT, including one focusing on evaluating contrast enhanced coronary artery visualization without motion artifacts. Early research from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg that recently appeared in the European Journal of Radiology has indicated that high and constant temporal resolution, independent of heart rate, permits imaging of the coronary arteries without motion artifacts in a substantially increased number of patients, as compared to earlier generation scanners. Visualization of the coronary arteries was successful in all patients in a consecutively scanned population.

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