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Hospital Scans Cut by 30 Minutes Thanks to New Tech
12 Dec
Summary
- New scanner technology reduces lung scans from 45 to 15 minutes.
- Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) enables detailed 3D lung imaging.
- British company Kromek produces the sought-after CZT material.
Patients at Royal Brompton Hospital can now undergo crucial lung scans in a significantly shorter time. Previously requiring up to 45 minutes of stillness, these examinations are now completed in approximately 15 minutes. This advancement is attributed to cutting-edge image processing technology integrated into the hospital's new scanner.
The key to this enhanced efficiency and image quality is the use of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT). This specialized material enables the scanner to produce remarkably detailed, three-dimensional images of patients' lungs. Dr. Kshama Wechalekar, head of nuclear medicine and PET, described the CZT as enabling a "revolution" in medical imaging, highlighting the impressive engineering and physics involved.
Notably, the CZT material used in the scanner, installed last August, is manufactured by Kromek, a British company. Kromek is one of a limited number of global firms capable of producing CZT, a material with diverse applications including X-ray telescopes, radiation detectors, and airport security scanners, indicating its growing demand.
