Today, rising caseloads and growing patient expectations are putting pressure on physicians and clinical staff around the world, including India. At the same time, shrinking healthcare budgets and declining reimbursements make it hard to invest in the technology needed to give more patients access to state-of-the-art imaging and to keep standards high. In many places, one of the challenges is to find qualified staff. To address these issues, KGS Advanced MRI and CT Scans in Madurai decided to install Siemens Healthineers’ SOMATOM go.Now–32 slice CT scanner, one of the first three units installed in the World.
The SOMATOM go.Now-32 slice CT scanner can be controlled via a tablet, which paves the way for an entirely new, mobile workflow enabling high level of flexibility to the users, for the first time ever in the world. The standardized work steps are designed so that users can run the scan with just a few inputs. Automated post-processing makes it even easier to operate the scanner. This means that even staff with a lower level of training can carry out the examinations, for instance, in emergencies during a night shift. The standardization also gives radiologists additional assurance with regard to the diagnostic quality of the images. It helps avoid errors, the need to repeat scans and thus unnecessary waiting times for patients – and all irrespective of whether they are dealing with trauma, orthopedic, or oncological cases.
Since the scanners can be controlled via the mobile tablet, medical staff no longer has to keep moving between the CT scanner and the control room. Radiographers can thus stay with patients while preparing the scan, which makes the examination experience more pleasant for patients, especially for children. The 70 cm wide bore of this scanner further helps in reducing claustrophobia in patients. The rotation speed of 0.8 seconds enables faster scanning providing high image quality at right dose, thereby ensuring patient comfort.
Vivek Kanade, executive director, Siemens Healthineers, India mentions, “SOMATOM go.Now is one of the CT scanners introduced as part of the SOMATOM go.Platform. This scanner addresses the ever increasing needs of workflow efficiency, clinical and financial requirements of healthcare providers, while addressing patient comfort. Innovative features in the tablet improve workflow efficiency and bring flexibility and mobility to daily CT routines. We are glad to install the first SOMATOM go.Now CT scanner at KGS Scans, one of the renowned radiology centers, that has always seen a high patient inflow and has the experience of scanning all patient types and cases.”
Dr. KG Srinivasan, managing director of KGS Advanced MR and CT Scans states, “Every patient has a right to high quality diagnosis and treatment. As a healthcare provider it is always our endeavor to meet patient demands. Installing the SOMATOM go. Now CT scanner has truly addressed our center’s requirement, especially in patient wait time, scanning various cases and patient type.”
SOMATOM go.Now CT scanner can be controlled on the move, while all computer hardware that was till now located in the control room has been integrated into the gantry of the scanner. This way, the institutions can benefit from a flexible room concept, a feature that was simply not possible with previous systems. This room concept drastically reduces the installation costs. A brand new Stellar detector and spectral tin filters, which were previously only available on Siemens Healthineers’ high-end scanners, allow users to perform lung imaging at extremely low radiation doses. When it comes to vascular imaging, High Power 80 – another feature from the premium segment – keeps tube voltages extremely low, which helps to reduce dose, minimize iodine contrast with better image quality.