University Health Network (UHN) is now the proud owner of three fully operational 320-slice computerized tomography (CT) scanners, more than any other establishment in the world. This is good news for patients at Toronto Western, Toronto General and Princess Margaret Hospitals as these scanners represent the finest in CT technology.
In a CT scan, image “slices” of the body are taken by rotating a thin x-ray beam in the region of interest. A computer interprets the information gathered by the x-ray beam and produces detailed, three-dimensional images of the scanned areas. The 320-slice CT scanner is capable of taking 16-centimeter-wide image slices in approximately one second. By contrast, a 64-slice CT takes ten seconds and can only capture a 3.2-centimeter-wide area. The large slices of the 320-slice CT make it possible for entire organs to be imaged in very little time. This makes it easier to detect and diagnose medical conditions like blood vessel blockages and tumours.
“The 320-slice CT will allow us to measure breathing-induced motion of both tumours and normal tissues within the patient,” said Dr. David Jaffray, Head of Radiation Physics at Princess Margaret. “With this information, we can accommodate for movement and develop highly precise radiation treatments that induce minimal side-effects.”
Uniquely situated in the emergency department, the newly operational scanner at Toronto Western Hospital can be used to quickly diagnose patients who are exhibiting stroke symptoms or have undergone severe trauma. Toronto Western’s Medical Imaging Site Director Dr. Karel Terbrugge believes that having the 320-CT in the emergency department will allow medical professionals “to more accurately [treat] triage patients.”
The 320-slice CT scanner at Toronto General Hospital has been in clinical operation since 2007. Given that the scanner can scan the entire heart in very little time, it has aided in the diagnosis of heart conditions. In addition, the dose of radiation required to treat cardiac patients has reduced over the last year.
“Breathing artifact, which causes image blurring, has been reduced with the 320-slice CT. This means that we have better diagnostic confidence,” said Dr. Narinder Paul, Medical Imaging Site Director at Toronto General. “We’re at the point where we can start to look past anatomy and start to look at [the pumping of organ fluid].”
Physicians hope that these advanced CT scanners will continue to help pinpoint tumours and cardiac complications, as well as reduce wait times for people with stroke symptoms.
“We have always been pioneers and early adopters of cutting edge CT technology,” said Chair of the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Dr. Patrice Bret. “Embracing this technology represents the next step in a continuum of technological advancement.”
