From the November 2022 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


UW-Madison to begin scanning humans with GE Healthcare's silicon detector photon-counting CT

In November, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced plans to begin scanning humans with GE Healthcare’s photon counting CT technology with deep silicon detectors in December 2022, making it the first U.S. clinical evaluation site for the scanner.


Photon-counting CT decreases pixel size and improves spatial resolution in images by converting individual X-ray photons into an electrical signal. It also has higher dose efficiency, allowing for ultrahigh-resolution images of large areas of the body to be captured. It offers the potential to visualize minute details in organ structures, improve tissue characterization, and provide more accurate material density measurements or quantification.

The solution’s silicon detectors are designed to enhance spatial and spectral resolution at the same time to improve imaging for oncology, cardiology, neurology, and other clinical CT applications.

Among the capabilities the researchers will examine are the scanner’s reconstruction methods, image presentation workflows, and clinical benefits for specific pathologies and disease types. They will use these insights to optimize photon counting CT with Deep Silicon detectors for better visualization and utilization.

Karolinska Institutet and MedTechLabs in Sweden performed the first clinical evaluation with the scanner in November 2021.

The new prototype at UW-Madison includes a larger detector that can possibly speed up scanning time and expand coverage; ECG-gated cardiac scan capabilities for coronary artery imaging; and faster acquisition speed for reducing the chance of blurred images due to motion.

November 2022 Magazine

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