Taking SPECT/CT and bone imaging to the next level

Philips Healthcare will be exhibiting the next generation of SPECT/CT at this year's Society of Nuclear Medicine annual meeting in Toronto. Philips' BrightView XCT is an advanced flat-panel CT and SPECT system, capable of detecting the finest hairline fractures at a spatial resolution that far exceeds the current capabilities of SPECT, which are estimated to run between 2 and 4 mm. The CT component of the BrightView, in comparison, offers a spatial resolution of .33 mm, as well as advanced attenuation correction, procedure software especially designed for orthopedics, and an extra-large, rotating gantry.

"Orthopedic surgeons, depending upon the institution, are one of the most powerful groups in the hospital," says Smith. "They're big revenue generators. Orthopedic surgery is a booming area for a lot of institutions and this is the first advancement in orthopedic imaging to come out in a long time."

The BrightView XCT has been in clinical testing for the past six months at the Radiological Associates of Sacramento, where Myers is the principal researcher. Philips is preparing to ship 50 more units of the BrightView XCT throughout the U.S. and internationally by the second half of 2009.

SPECT/CT - a financial watershed

Not only is SPECT/CT and its associated radiopharmaceuticals significantly more affordable than PET, they are also well-reimbursed by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. New developments in PET/CT reimbursement may begin changing the game for SPECT/CT, but for now SPECT/CT is enjoying much higher rates of clinical adoption and CMS approval.

"[SPECT/CT] is growing very quickly, not only in the U.S., but globally," says Sergio Calvo, Director of Siemens' Molecular Imaging Product Marketing. Calvo estimates that the rate of clinical adoption of SPECT/CT in many developed countries to be about 50%, and the widespread success of the modality has developed over just the past two to three years, he says.

Bone scans in general account for 15% to 20% of procedure volume in the area of nuclear medicine, depending upon the practice, says Smith. That percentage is often higher in hospital imaging departments.

"It has a lot to do with an aging population," explains Smith. "Between extreme sports and people getting a little bit older, ortho procedures are forecast to be increasing. We're also seeing a lot of reprocedures because of advancements in technology in hip and knee replacement."

The bone-seeking agents of SPECT

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