Based on the key requirements expressed by all its main customer groups in radiology, Siemens Healthineers has developed an entirely new platform for computed tomography. It responds to the needs of diverse users and in doing so improves their competitive position. The Somatom go. platform with the Somatom go.Now and Somatom go.Up scanners offers automated and standardized workflows and also gives radiology providers the option of using a highly costefficient single-room concept for the first time. Based on the Somatom go. platform the company offers two scanner variants: the 32-slice Somatom go.Now is particularly suited to radiology providers who want to establish a new CT department. Somatom go.Up is equipped with a wider detector providing up to 64 slices. Among other benefits, it offers faster scanning, which is especially important for lung imaging – e.g., to screen for cancer. This model is therefore suited to radiologists who want to expand an existing portfolio. The Somatom go. platform can be controlled via a tablet, which paves the way for an entirely new, mobile workflow. The standardized work steps are designed so that users can run the scan with just a few inputs. Automated postprocessing makes it even easier to operate the scanners. This means that even staff with a lower level of training can carry out the examinations, for instance in emergencies during a night shift . The standardization also gives radiologists additional assurance with regard to the diagnostic quality of the images. Since the scanners can be controlled via a tablet, radiographers can stay with patients while preparing the scan, which makes the examination experience more pleasant for patients, especially for children. The scanners can be controlled on the move while all computer hardware that was up to now located in the control room has been integrated into the gantry of the scanner. This way, the institutions can benefit from a flexible room concept, a feature that was simply not possible with previous systems. Instead of requiring two or three rooms for the scanner, the control unit, and possibly additional technology, Somatom go. scanners can – if desired – be installed in a single room with a minimum size requirement. With this setup, a shielded niche is enough to protect the radiology staff . This room concept drastically reduces the installation costs and thus makes the Somatom go. platform especially attractive for deployment in emerging markets. A brand new detector based on the already proven Stellar technology and spectral tin filters, which were previously only available on the company’s high-end scanners, allow users to perform lung imaging at extremely low radiation doses. When it comes to vascular imaging, High Power 80 – another feature from the premium segment – keeps tube voltages extremely low, which helps to reduce dose and minimize iodine contrast.
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