Reduced patient dose, increased comfort
To the patient, the lowest possible radiation dose is as critical as high image quality. CARE (Combined Applications to Reduce Exposure) Dose4D adapts the X-ray tube current in real time for the entire scan region, ensuring consistently high image quality while keeping dose as low as possible for all organs and types of anatomy. Another potential dose-saving technology is Sinogram Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction (SAFIRE), a method for iterative CT image reconstruction based on raw data.2 SAFIRE may potentially achieve a dose savings of up to 60 percent for a wide range of applications. With a reconstruction speed of up to 15 images per second, SAFIRE may be suited for daily clinical routines. An Illumination MoodLight with adjustable LED panel is integrated into the SOMATOM Perspective to brighten the sterile atmosphere of many exam rooms.

¹The SOMATOM Perspective CT scanner is pending 510(k) clearance, and is not yet commercially available.
2Depending on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location, and clinical practice, the use of SAFIRE can help to reduce radiation dose while maintaining pixel noise, low contrast detectability and high contrast resolution. Phantom measurements showed that high contrast resolution and pixel noise are equivalent between full dose WFBP images and reduced dose SAFIRE images. Additionally, SAFIRE can reduce spiral artifacts by using iterations going back and forth between image space and raw data space. A consultation with a radiologist and a physicist should be made to determine the appropriate dose to obtain diagnostic image quality for the particular clinical task. A Model Observer evaluation showed that equivalent low contrast detectability can be achieved with 54% to 60% less dose using SAFIRE at highest noise reduction strength for thin (0.6 mm) reconstruction slices in simulated body and head phantoms for low contrast objects with different contrasts.

Some of the products mentioned here are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons, the future availability in any country cannot be guaranteed. Further details are available from the local Siemens organizations.

Launched by Siemens Healthcare Sector in November 2011, Agenda 2013 is a two-year global initiative to further strengthen the Healthcare Sector's innovative power and competitiveness. Specific measures will be implemented in four fields of action: Innovation, Competitiveness, Regional Footprint, and People Development.

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