£2m superscanner is installed at Birmingham hospital

Oct 26 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Post

A £2 million scanner that can show detailed pictures of any body part in less than a second has been installed at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham.

The technology is the first of its kind in the West Midlands and only the second to be used in the entire NHS.

Hospital bosses said the new CT scanner, called a Toshiba Aquilion One 320 Slice, can scan parts of the body in only one rotation. They expect it to dramatically speed up times for diagnosis.

Radiologists have also found that the scanner offers the lowest radiation dose available to patients, while examining all the major body parts and imaging whole organs in real time.

It is expected to revolutionise the treatment of patients, especially those with chest pain and strokes.

Dr Madava Djearaman, a consultant cardiothoracic radiologist at Heartlands Hospital, said: “This cutting-edge technology will enable us to offer patients the best quality of care by improving diagnostic accuracy, particularly for patients arriving at the hospital with symptoms of chest pain.

“As the scanner works more efficiently than previous scanners, we are also already seeing a steady increase in the amount of patients we are able to see and treat per day.”

The radiology department at Heartlands, in Bordesley Green, has also benefited from a new, dedicated CT suite, housing its two CT scanners back to back, as well as improved patient reception and waiting areas.