X-ray tube arcing impedes CT system uptime and image quality. In this interview, Robert Bayerlein, Senior Product Manager for CT at Dunlee, answers common questions about arcing.

Q: What is arcing?

A: X-ray tube arcing is caused by a short circuit within the X-ray tube. This can result in a temporary loss of X-ray output.

Q: Why is it important to choose tubes with low arcing rates?

A: Arcing can cause imaging artifacts, which make diagnosis more difficult. In addition, because they can cause termination of scans, they interrupt workflow and may result in the need to repeat imaging studies. In some cases, large arcs can cause so much damage that the scanner can't be used. This downtime may lead to delayed diagnosis or patients receiving CT scans elsewhere, which causes hospitals to lose revenue.

Q: How do Dunlee's tube and generator bundles differ from other solutions in terms of arcing?

A: Dunlee tubes are well known for their low arcing rates. A field study of our CT Xpert bundles determined that they have fewer than one scan-interrupting arc* in 3 years.** This is because of the perfect alignment and integration of the tube and generator, which enables the tube to ride through up to 90% of tube arcs without interrupting the scan.

A low arcing rate pays off for hospitals in decreased downtime, lower risk of image artifacts, enhanced workflow because of fewer scan interruptions, and a lower risk of rescans. This benefits patients as well, because rescans result in additional radiation exposure.

* At an average utilization of 200 kss per year