Philips (NYSE:PHG) announced that it launched the Philips CT 3500, a new high-throughput CT system powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
Amsterdam-based Philips designed the new CT system to target the needs of routine radiology and high-volume screening programs. It features a range of image-reconstruction and workflow-enhancing features to deliver consistency, speed and first-time-right image quality.
The company said it enables confident diagnoses by clinicians and increased return on investment in demanding, high-volume care settings.
“Increased financial pressures, chronic staff shortages, and escalating patient demand are driving radiology departments to do everything they can to maximize throughput, to guarantee equipment uptime, and to avoid repeat scans,” said Frans Venker, GM, computed tomography at Philips. “Today, many radiology departments scan hundreds of patients a day. We’ve engineered the Philips CT 3500 to reduce the pain points that these high-volume departments face by developing a versatile, reliable, high-throughput imaging solution. It automates radiographers’ most time-consuming steps so that they can spend more time focusing on the patient.”
Features of the new Philips CT 3500
Powered by Philips’ latest AI-enabled CT Smart Workflow, CT 3500 automates every step in the scanning process. Its Precise Position feature uses a camera to automatically determine patient orientation. Philips said this improves positioning accuracy by 50% while reducing patient positioning time by up to 23%.
Precise Planning automatically determines the area for scanning and the appropriate exam card based on patient anatomy. With a faster exam, the system could improve inter-operator consistency, the company said. Its Precise Intervention feature then offers automated setup and treatment guidance for tissue biopsies and other needle-based interventions.
With Precise Image AI-based reconstruction, CT 3500 delivers high image quality needed for precise diagnoses. Philips said it enables up to 60% improved low-contrast detectability, 85% lower noise and 80% lower radiation dose. All reference protocols are reconstructed in under a minute, too.
CT 3500 uses Philips’ vMRC tube and tracks critical performance metrics with internal and external proactive monitoring sensors. These allow service engineers to intervene prior to any potential impact on CT operations.
Philips plans to launch CT 3500 back-to-back at the China International Medical Equipment Fair and Deutscher Röntgenkongress this week.