CHICAGO, IL. - Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has introduced the world's first dynamic volume computed tomography system - the Aquilion ONE™. This advanced diagnostic imaging system revolutionizes patient care because it can help reduce diagnosis time for life threatening diseases like stroke and heart disease from days and hours to mere minutes. Aquilion ONE debuted at the RSNA annual meeting. With its recent FDA clearance, Toshiba is on schedule to make the system commercially available in summer, 2008. The pricetag is between $2-3 million.

The technology allows physicians to see not only a three-dimensional depiction of an organ, but also the organ's dynamic blood flow and function. Unlike any other CT system, the Aquilion ONE can scan one organ - including heart, brain and others - in one rotation because it covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra high resolution 0.5mm detector elements. This reduces exam time, as well as radiation and contrast dose, and dramatically increases diagnostic confidence. With the Aquilion ONE, the organ or area is captured in a single rotation at one moment in time, eliminating the need to reconstruct slices from multiple points in time.

A decade in development, the scanner has been installed and is in operation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The 2-metric-ton (4400-pound) device can measure subtle changes in blood flow or minute blockages forming in blood vessels no bigger than the average width of a toothpick (1.5 millimeters) in the heart and brain. It is one of two devices in the United States scheduled to become operational this year, the other at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

The scanning machine, an Aquilion 320, has more than five times greater detector coverage than its commonly used predecessor, the 64-CT. The big advantage over other imaging technologies, researchers say, is that the 320-CT can, in 1 second or less, images "slices" as big as 16 centimeters (6.3 inches), which is wide enough to capture most of the body's organs with one single rotation of its central, X-ray emitting gantry. The 64-CT, however, only has the capacity to image 3.2 centimeters (1.3 inches) at a time, and it takes longer to perform, up to 10 seconds.

The new technology was approved after initial testing at Hopkins of a similar, but slightly less-powerful 256-CT scanner, conducted earlier this year. The 256-CT also performed whole-organ imaging, with single scans capturing up to 12.8 centimeters (5 inches).

With its ability to perform uniquely comprehensive exams, including functional studies, the Aquilion ONE reduces the need for multiple, duplicative tests and invasive procedures. As a result of this breakthrough technology, healthcare costs can be reduced because unnecessary tests can be eliminated; diagnosis times are faster, which is especially critical in ER patients presenting with chest pain who are usually given multiple tests that take days to complete.

Also at RSNA, Toshiba is showcasing several automated workflow enhancements and clinical applications for the Aquilion CT product line.

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