Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) has installed the first five-ring version of the Discovery MI PET/CT system from GE Healthcare.
The five-ring Discovery MI system was installed in December, and the first patient scans began on February 5, according to Julie Anne Black, associate director of clinical operations. The system replaces an older Discovery STE PET/CT scanner that SCCA was operating.
SCCA believes the five-ring version of Discovery MI will enable it to perform scans faster than on its previous Discovery STE or even than what's possible with four-ring Discovery MI units, according to Black. SCCA will be able to conduct a midbody PET/CT scan that used to take 60 minutes in 30 minutes with the new system. The facility also expects improvements in image quality.
The faster throughput and higher resolution will pay off in terms of learning how quickly a treatment is working in patients, Black said. Clinicians at SCCA should also be able to render more definitive diagnoses.
