FDA approves wheeled CT scanner allowing bedside scanning in ICU

Written By : Medha Baranwal |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2020-08-14T13:45:03+05:30 | Updated On 15 Aug 2020 1:53 PM IST

USA: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Siemens Healthineers' wheeled CT scanner. The Somatom scanner consists of motorized wheels and a forward-looking camera that allows a single person to navigate it through the hospital. This allows the convenience of bringing the scanner to the patient instead of the other way round, allowing the easier head exams of critically ill patients. This eliminates the risks and logistics of transporting the patient through the hospital to a radiology unit to use a larger machine.

The scanner includes the necessary computers and batteries, as well as keyboard and touchscreen for operation inside smaller rooms without requiring extra equipment. After the system is locked in place at the end of a patient's bed, the scanner moves on a telescopic gantry to acquire the image, with the person's head resting within a 35 cm bore.

"The Somatom On.site is a fundamentally new approach for CT head scans of intensive care patients," Siemens head of computed tomography, Philipp Fischer, said late last year after the device debuted at the December 2019 assembly of the Radiological Society of North America.

"At the same time, it allows healthcare providers to use their staff and their permanently installed CT fleet even more effectively," Fischer said, with ICU patients typically requiring more time to be safely moved through a radiology suite compared to more conventional exams.

In addition, the scanner also features radiation curtain shields that can be attached to the front and rear, allowing clinicians to stay nearby during scanning, while the patient can remain connected to any monitors and devices.

Mobile CT scanner reimagines head imaging of critically ill patients by enabling patients and staff to remain in ICU.

US FDACT scannercomputed tomographyICUcritically illFDA approval

Source : US FDA

Medha Baranwal

MSc. Biotechnology

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751