VISIONS spoke to Dr. Mark Kon, Consultant Radiologist at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK, about the experiences with the Aquilion Prime SP.

As the demand for CT scans continues to increase in health-care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, every ele-ment of the functionality and efficiency of CT systems is under scrutiny. VISIONS spoke to Dr. Mark Kon, Consultant Radiologist at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK, to find out how the performance of Canon Medical’s Aquilion Prime SP is meeting the needs of the hospital.

With many years of experience in using Canon Medical systems, Dr. Kon has seen image quality improve over the iterations of scanners that he has worked with.

“In uroradiology in particular, patients with stone diseases often have recurrences, so comparison with previous imaging is essential. From this, you can really notice the increase in Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) with successive technology. The jump to Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) with the Aquilion Prime SP has brought a massive rise in this, in particular,” he remarked. “Objectively, we have measured Standard Deviation (SD) as a representation of objective noise in images, before and after the introduction of AiCE, and can confirm that noise has been reduced from SD 15 to SD 10 in the bladder in CTs of kidneys, ureter and bladder (KUBs).”

AiCE Deep Learning Reconstruction (DLR) offers a whole new approach in CT reconstruction technology that brings significant benefits in speed of image reconstruction, data and time savings, and increased accuracy.

“Image quality using AiCE is so obviously improved that we have had no issues at all implementing it in all our protocols,:” said Dr. Kon. “Images are available within only a few minutes, so we are able to report all in-patient scans during the same session. The only exception is trauma scans, in which we try to give a preliminary report from the scanning console while the patient is still on the table. Otherwise, all scans are processed with AiCE, including cardiac CT scans.”

“The noise reduction achieved with DLR changed our requirements of image data storage, saving space in the hospital’s PACS system,” he remarked.

“Our practice is to send 1mm axial images to our PACS system. Previously, we required our radiologists to read 3mm images to reduce noise. Noise in 1mm images from AiCE is so low that we now view these images directly at 1mm,” he added. “We can also reformat sagittal and coronal images from the same dataset. For non-specialist lung imaging, we will not have to make complete lung reconstructions, saving even more space in the PACS system.”

And the team can work with added accuracy due to the quality of imaging and reconstruction with the Aquilion Prime SP and AiCE.

The features of a new CT Fluoroscopy panel for the Aquilion Prime SP, enable Dr. Kon and his team to focus on the clinical aspects of their Interventional work even more.

“For a lung biopsy, I would usually stay in the room with the patient, as I believe it is important to minimise the time with the needle in the lung and to be near the patient in the event of complications, such as pneumothorax or hemoptysis. With the new Fluoroscopy panel, we have a combination of features that give us the ability go to target with one select button and one drive button. This process is precise and correct first time, every time. We can bring the patient out to manipulate the biopsy just as fast,” explained Dr. Kon. ”In a teaching hospital situation, our trainees with less experience of table control find this functionality most useful, as they are able to concentrate on the clinical aspects of the biopsy rather than the mechanical table movement.”

High image quality supports high quality and better efficiency in Interventional work. “When a needle is close to an important structure, high quality and ease of imaging is essential, so that you are not tempted to cut corners and assume it is ‘good enough’,” remarked Dr. Kon.” The ease of in-room scanning ensures that you are exactly where you want to be and increase your yield.”

The design of the new panel enables it to integrate within the scan room and enhances ergonomics.
“Dragging cables on the floor is no longer a limitation as the unit attaches directly to the table and it simply sits on the shelf when not in use. The touch screen works well with its sterile cover” he added. “Faster, more precise procedures mean that biopsies are more comfortable for the patient, with greater confidence in a smooth procedure and more likely to achieve a diagnostic result.”