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CHH Installs Two Revolutionary CT Imaging Scanners
Last updated: 07/10/2007
Lightspeed VCT® CT imaging system
Cabell Huntington Hospital physicians are now equipped with two state-of-the-art CT imaging systems that give them the ability to diagnose disease or life-threatening injuries in patients with greater accuracy and more comfort.
Using the first machine, a LightSpeed VCT® CT imaging system from GE Healthcare, hospital staff are now able to perform detailed head-to-toe scans of patients in just 10 seconds. During that time, more pictures can be taken quicker and with clearer images than before.
"This machine is more powerful than any of the older machines," said Danielle Lewis, CT supervisor at Cabell Huntington Hospital. "More power means better quality, especially with the vascular system images where we can take much more detailed pictures of a patient's arteries."
With improved speed and accuracy, physicians will be better equipped to diagnose problems that demand immediate attention, such as blood clots. The LightSpeed VCT is able to capture 64 images in one scan that, when combined, create a three-dimensional view of a patient's anatomy for physicians to analyze.
With the addition of a second new imaging system, the GE Healthcare LightSpeed Xtra, Cabell Huntington Hospital has improved how comfortable scans are for patients, specifically larger patients. This scanner can accommodate larger patients who once were sent to facilities hours away for scanners not available in this area. The LightSpeed Xtra has the capability to accommodate patients who weigh up to 450 pounds for chest scans and 500 pounds for head scans. The machine's larger scanner opening will also increase comfort for patients with claustrophobia.
The addition of these two scanners will help Cabell Huntington Hospital reduce wait time for patients who need CT images.
"With these two new machines, we now have a total of three versatile machines that will help, especially with trauma cases, when accurate information is needed quickly," Lewis said. "We are now able to scan multiple patients, which will help move patients along faster."