After installing a new CT scanner (Somatom Force, Siemens Healthineers) with radiation dose-reduction features, the researchers noticed a dose reduction by up to 50% in individual cases, particularly for whole-body exams, compared with previous scanners they had been using, said senior author Dr. Mike Notohamiprodjo from the University of Tübingen in Germany.
Seeking to confirm this perception by gathering objective data, the group used automated dose-tracking software (Radimetrics, Bayer HealthCare) to find a subgroup of the institution's patients who had received the same CT exam on the new scanner and also two older scanners. This allowed the team to compare dose exposure and image quality between the different generations of scanners, he said.
The analysis showed that the new scanner's detector technology along with iterative reconstruction enabled a significant dose reduction -- up to 50% -- compared with older scanners. This reduction was achieved without affecting image quality, according to both objective and subjective measures.
"Automated dose-tracking software allows for fast and objective analysis of a large patient cohort," Notohamiprodjo told AuntMinnie.com.
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