Aquilion Prime SP CT to support complex and routine clinical procedures
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has installed a new Aquilion Prime SP CT from Canon Medical. A new scanning room optimised for the system has been created from a relocated angio-suite. In addition, an extensive range of applications have been included with the scanner to boost its versatility across a wide range of complex to routine clinical procedures in neuro, cardiac, ortho, oncology, CT guided intervention and general work.
The Aquilion Prime SP CT is designed to keep pace with demanding work lists and deliver high-quality images at the lowest possible dose for every patient. Using the application AIDR 3D, the scanner delivers enhanced iterative reconstruction to ensure excellent image detail with significant dose savings for all patients. SEMAR (Single Energy Metal Artifact Reduction) is also included and uses a sophisticated reconstruction technique to deliver clearer image quality during scanning. It removes artifacts caused by metal to improve visualisation of the implant, supporting bone and adjacent soft tissue for clearer and more confident image review.
“The SEMAR application is really helpful when imaging patients with metal implants. We do lots of spinal and orthopaedic imaging, especially on scoliosis patients, so having clear images without distortion is much better. We’re also increasingly seeing patients with hip and knee replacements so prior to the installation we would have struggled to gain clinically confident images when doing general cancer work – now we can get a much clearer view of the lower pelvis and bladder area,” states Angela Abbott, CT Lead Radiographer at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.
“The new Aquilion Prime SP CT has made our working life much easier. We used to be split over three departments but are now reconfigured to two within the same area. This means that should there be any downtime or we’re behind on our lists, we can move to another scanner with less disruption to patients. We also have a new recovery room attached to the CT suite which means we can recover our own biopsy patients without taking up a valuable hospital bed elsewhere,” Angela Abbott continues. “We’re looking to start cardiac CT scanning soon and the versatility of the scanner will give patients a much closer to home service, rather than being sent elsewhere for procedures.”
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust is rated as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and is part of The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group. The new Aquilion Prime SP is the seventh CT system from Canon Medical to be selected and deployed at the Group serving Greater Manchester and the North West.
“It has been exciting to see the transformation of the old angiography room into a state-of-the-art CT imaging suite at Salford Royal Hospital,” states Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “The hospital’s CT team is excited about the new possibilities for the patients and we’ll continue supporting with application knowledge and service requirements.”
Photo caption:
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, part of The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, has installed an Aquilion Prime SP CT from Canon Medical Systems UK. (L to R): Caroline Roberts, Radiographer; Linda Mason, Advanced Practitioner CT Radiographer; Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Arianne Carruth, Advanced Practitioner CT Radiographer; James King, Project Manager; and Angela Abbott, CT Lead Radiographer.