New SPECT/CT Imaging System from Siemens

Siemens Healthcare has introduced a unique SPECT/CT imaging system that allows for more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of metabolic disorders.

In the past, SPECT/CT images were formed by reconstructing SPECT and CT images separately and then combining them mechanically. This meant the high-resolution CT images had to adapt to the low spatial resolution of SPECT examinations, resulting in blurry SPECT/CT images. While the method allowed for basic anatomical localization, the resulting images were not clear enough to show whether the metabolic anomaly was due to a tumor or other diseases.

TheSymbiaIntevo from Siemens changes all this. A pioneer in a new modality called the xSPECT system, it integrates full data sets from SPECT and CT images. The result: a level of detail that enables physicians to more precisely differentiate malignancies from degenerative disease, determine the size of a tumor, and come up with a treatment plan and assessits outcomes.

SPECT information is gathered via an exam that involves administering low doses of radiopharmaceuticals—which emit radiation once they react with a certain body tissue—to patients. This is then overlaid with CT images reflecting the body’s anatomy in order to pinpoint the location of the disorder. Because CT is used as the frame of reference, the high-resolution of the CT data is not compromised and the quality of the SPECT images is improved.

High-resolution image reconstruction is done using a 64-bit computer and an iterative algorithm that factors in reference parameters like detector motion, the distance of the patient from the detector, the shapes and sizes of collimator holes, and gantry deflections.

TheSymbiaIntevo also delineates between bone and soft tissues as well as any lesions. In terms of treatment response, the data it generates can be used for tracer absolute quantification, allowing physicians to observe a tumor’s level of metabolic activity.

By ushering in the xSPECT system, the Symbia Intevo helps deliver quality care to patients with metabolic disorders, from diagnosis to therapy.