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New scanning room created to upgrade the Nuclear Medicine department

A SymbiaR T TruePoint SPECT.CT from Siemens Healthcare has been installed in a new scanning room in the Nuclear Medicine department at Southend Hospital, part of Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.  Siemens oversaw the turnkey project for the design and build of the new facility, which was converted from two offices and a rarely used hospital corridor.

The Symbia T is a hybrid SPECT.CT system that combines a dual-detector variable angle gamma camera with a CT scanner for comprehensive localisation and diagnostic imaging.  It uses Siemens' TruePoint SPECT.CT technology, a combination of specialised features and workflow solutions for improved diagnosis and treatment.  It will be used for a range of procedures including oncology, orthopaedic, cardiac, lung and renal examinations and has the potential to halve scanning time.

"Siemens managed the whole turnkey project and we are extremely pleased with how things went," said Stephen Brown, Consultant Physicist and Nuclear Medicine Manager at Southend Hospital.  "Everything ran like clockwork, the project was completed on time and we now have a wonderful new scanning room when previously the hospital corridor was just a dead space."

"The hybrid SPECT.CT imaging system is a brand new service for the hospital and as it has two modalities it means most of the required scanning can be carried out at one appointment," continued Stephen.  "We will be able to make decisions quickly and offer a rapid and more accurate diagnosis, which is less disruptive for the patient.  It also promises to potentially halve imaging time and reduce radiation dose for certain procedures, allowing us to see more patients each day."

The system will also be equipped with IQ.SPECT, Siemens ' new cardiac package, which enables wide-ranging cardiac evaluation including perfusion, attenuation correction and calcium scoring in five minutes.  Its dual SMARTZOOM collimators work in tandem to collect the maximum information from the heart in the least amount of time so that patient comfort is not compromised.  

"We worked hard to ensure a smooth installation process at Southend Hospital and that the design and build of the new scanning room utilised the maximum space available," said Graham Walker, Regional Sales & Corporate Business Manager at Siemens Healthcare.  "Furthermore, the Symbia T offers two sets of information in one examination, making it a cost effective and efficient solution for today's health environment."

Source: Siemens Healthcare