FIRST CARDIOLOGY-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION VOLUME COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCANNER

Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us

FIRST CARDIOLOGY-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION OF ITS NEXT-GENERATION VOLUME COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCANNER
19 February 2006 - AZDEL

GE Healthcare announced today the first cardiology-specific installation of its next-generation volume computed tomography scanner, the LightSpeed VCT. This marks the first installation utilized exclusively for cardiac applications by a cardiologist.

The LightSpeed VCT, the world's first volume CT system, enables cardiologists to capture images of the heart and coronary arteries in five heartbeats, something no other CT system can offer.

"GE listened to luminary cardiologists and customers who told us that imaging the heart in five or fewer beats was an urgent clinical need," said Laura King, Global Vice President, Interventional, Cardiology and Surgery at GE Healthcare. "The LightSpeed VCT is the only technology capable of 5-Beat Cardiac, and GE is the only company to build our technology for physicians, based on their clinical needs, from the ground up."

In a single rotation, the LightSpeed VCT creates 64 submillimeter images, totaling 40 millimeter of anatomical coverage, which are combined to form a three-dimensional view of the patient's anatomy for the physician to analyze.

"The LightSpeed VCT is a culmination of GE's more than 25 years of experience as the world's leader in CT," said King. "Our innovative technologies designed to address the clinical needs of our customers are enhancing physician efficiency and patient care. Simply put, the LightSpeed VCT will help cardiologists treat more patients more effectively."

LightSpeed VCT: Biggest Revolution in Cardiology Since the Catheter, According to Cardiologist

The LightSpeed VCT has the capability to attain 43-millisecond temporal resolution, which means physicians can effectively freeze the motion of the heart in a scan and secure extremely high-quality images of coronary arteries in submillimeter detail.

"GE's LightSpeed VCT is the biggest revolution in cardiology since the catheter," said Dr. Thomas Vinson, cardiologist and CEO of Round Rock Cardiology. "It will help cardiologists make rapid, accurate diagnoses of heart disease. This technology is the wave of the future, and I'm excited to be the first cardiologist in the world to utilize this ground, breaking technology."

Pamela Douglas, MD, FACC, and Chief of Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center and President of ACC, said cardiologists already using CT technology have successfully integrated cardiovascular CT into their clinical practice.

"CT Angiography can make all the difference in helping physicians detect disease and provide information needed for accurate diagnoses of heart disease. The LightSpeed VCT is clearly going to be a major breakthrough technology to help cardiologists diagnose heart disease," said Douglas.

http://www.ge.com

About: AZDEL
AZDEL, Inc. is a joint venture of GE Advanced Materials and PPG Industries. The AZDEL business was established in 1972 by PPG, and the 50/50 joint venture was set up with GE in 1986. AZDEL is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of high-performance composite materials serving a wide variety of markets and industries including automotive, transportation interiors, large truck, materials handling, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and building and construction.

* AZDEL and VolcaLite are trademarks of AZDEL, Inc., a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric Company and PPG Industries.

More News:
  • For February 2006
  • From AZDEL
  • For Thermoplastic Composites