The new top dog in computed tomography (CT) is the Siemens dual source (64-slice x 2) Somatom Definition Flash scanner.


Siemens AG provide an official press release, touting the unique use of dual source technology to reduce dosage and scan times (click on this link). They don't talk very much about characterizing urinary calculi anymore ;) 


It's noteworthy that the one of the first installations of the scanner was at the Arnold Palmer (paediatric) Hospital - and makes an impressive claim of sub-mSv dosage cardiac scanning (when most scans are in the 8-30 mSv range). And 75ms temporal resolution which reduces the requirement for B-blockers.


The exterior of the machine is iMac white, with a shiny plastic clad front panel, and Siemen's characteristic horizontal zebra slides. Very pretty.


We can't tell you where exactly it is until the official announcement, but if you wander about Paragon Medical on Orchard Road, you might find it.


Here's a podcast from Elliot Fishman from ctisus.com on Johns Hopkins' initial experience with the Flash.

We had a peek at the new award winning Philips 256-slice scanner (Brilliance iCT) at the Singapore General Hospital. It promises the features to be expected from a larger detector field- greater coverage and speed, allowing cardiac CT with step and shoot, near-real time angiography, lung volumes and virtual colonoscopy.

Here's a short writeup from Philips Medical.

A Youtube video of the spinning gantry: