Canon Medical Systems USA recently rolled out a new mobile CT unit that offers a rapid cleaning system it says can help improve throughput during the pandemic.
In recent weeks, radiologists have grappled with whether to use computed tomography to image potentially infected individuals, triggering time-consuming decontamination protocols. Canon claims its Aquilion Prime SP CT system can clean up following an exam in minutes, using an automated ultraviolet-light system.
“Imaging infectious disease patients is not a new phenomenon for medical providers. But our customers are facing an unprecedented number of potentially contagious patients,” Erin Angel, managing director of the Tustin, California, company’s CT Business Unit, said in an April 29 statement. “Our deployable CT offerings with the addition of rapid UV-C decontamination will offer providers a unique solution to help improve their workflow and safety as they image infectious disease patients.”
Canon said its system comes in a modular or mobile footprint and its 660-pound capacity and a 78-cm aperture gantry make it ideal for emergency settings.
Since the pandemic started in mid-March, U.S. radiologists have received conflicting advice on CT’s role in diagnosing and assessing the disease. Groups such as the Fleischner Society have advocated for its use in several clinical scenarios. Others, such as the American College of Radiology, have recommended sparing use of this tool, with imaging suited needing to stay unoccupied for an hour after examining infected patients.
Scientists with Michigan Medicine are currently exploring mobile CT’s role during the crisis, and are connecting with imaging companies in their fact-finding mission.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.