NEW ORLEANS, April 5, 2011 - Shands at the University of Florida, the primary teaching hospital for the UF College of Medicine and one of the Southeast's premier health centers, has expanded its diagnostic imaging capabilities for both cardiac and neurological diseases through the utilization of two Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. AquilionTM ONE CT systems. The systems' ability to capture the entire heart or brain in one rotation has enabled UF physicians at Shands to improve diagnostic accuracy and workflow for patients presenting with stroke and heart attack symptoms, while making imaging safer for patients by limiting radiation doses. Toshiba will be showcasing the Aquilion ONE's advanced cardiac capabilities at this year's American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in New Orleans, April 2 - 5, 2011 (Booth # 2847).

UF radiologists are using Toshiba's Aquilion ONE CT system for advanced cardiac applications for patients presenting with chest pain in the emergency department, evaluation of coronary artery disease and definitive non-invasive evaluation of congenital heart disease with low radiation dose. Unlike any other CT system available, the Aquilion ONE covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra-high resolution 0.5 mm detector elements and can image the entire heart in less than a single heartbeat.

"Having a system with the ability to capture the entire heart and great vessels with a single gantry rotation allows for imaging with very low dose and can often provide all of the information required for operative planning in the setting of complex congenital heart disease," said Dr. Roger Shifrin, UF College of Medicine radiology clinical assistant professor. "This capability is extremely important for this patient set, as they will likely undergo multiple exams with radiation over the course of their lifetime."
In addition to successfully evaluating cardiac patients, UF physicians at Shands have been able to further develop and elevate the hospital's stroke imaging. Prior to the Aquilion ONE, diagnostic accuracy for stroke with CT was limited, because many strokes were occurring outside of the detector row imaging area. With the Aquilion ONE's ability to cover up to 16 cm of anatomy, the entire brain can be imaged in a single rotation, dramatically improving the identification of stroke. It can show the organ's dynamic blood flow and real-time function, allowing visualization of dynamic function. These capabilities enable the clinicians at Shands at UF to identify stroke in minutes and are critical in developing the best treatment path and improving the life of the patient, as every second counts in stroke diagnosis.

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