The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the first facility in the United States to install Siemens Healthineers’ Somatom Drive CT system. This scanner joins Siemens’ Somatom Force and Somatom Definition Flash in the dual-source segment of its CT portfolio.

Designed to drive precision in diagnostic imaging throughout a wide variety of clinical disciplines—including cardiology, emergency medicine, oncology, and pediatrics—the Somatom Drive CT system delivers a high-quality patient experience.

Adjustable in 10kV increments that range from 70 kV to 140 kV, the new Straton MX Sigma x-ray tubes allow clinicians to customize the voltage—and, by extension, the dose received by each patient; the company notes that imaging at a lower kV level reduces the level of radiation exposure experienced by patients. In addition, the Care Screen with tin filters capability filters out the parts of the x-ray beam that are often not useful for imaging; this means that clinicians can effectively lower the dose, while maintaining image quality.

Sedation-free pediatric CT examinations are possible with the Somatom Drive’s fast scanning speed. In addition, the patient’s heart and lung movement won’t compromise diagnostic imaging quality. Using the Somatom Drive, clinicians can perform a cardiac scan with a single heartbeat; and that means beta-blockers may be unnecessary to slow down some patients’ heartbeats.

“Siemens Healthineers is pleased to provide the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital with the Somatom Drive, which can help their clinicians deliver more precise pediatric imaging and potentially further reduce pediatric dose through the scanner’s kV-tailoring capabilities and its Care Screen with tin filter,” says Douglas Ryan, vice president of CT at Siemens Healthineers North America.

For more information about this product, visit Siemens Healthineers.