Use of portable CT in the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Experiences in the admitting area, ICU, and operating room.
The author's experience with portable CT has been positive. Nurses and clinical physicians have been pleased with this new imaging capability also, and have written testimonial letters endorsing its value. Recently, the STC extended availability of the mobile CT to the University of Maryland Hospital, an adjoining 600-bed center with numerous medical and surgical patients in ICU. They are particularly interested in assessing use of portable CT in the neonatal ICU, where patient transport outside the unit is particularly difficult and dangerous. Technical improvements for portable CT are in development. Soon, helical volume scanning will be available, allowing faster image acquisition and better two- and three-dimensional image reformations (Fig. 12). A new, more powerful x-ray tube is in development that will permit more slices to be acquired without tube cooling interruptions. Gantry translate capability coupled with a radiolucent backboard extender has the potential to permit scanning of the head, neck, spine, face, and upper torso without the patient being moved from the ICU bed. For applications in head, face, and neck surgery, a radiolucent cranial fixation device also has been developed. Other potential improvements include extended battery power for more scanning between charges, a larger tube heat unit storage for extended scanning situations, decreased system weight for easier transport, and more detector efficiency for improved image quality while maintaining significant dose reduction over conventional scanning. The capability of portable CT scanning for emergency, intensive care, and intraoperative studies exists now. The commercially marketed cost for this system is between $400,000 and $500,000. Further studies are anticipated to clarify the economic and clinical benefits of this technology.
Mirvis
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Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. smirvis@radiology.ab.umd.edu
D000289:Admitting Department, Hospital; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003422:Critical Care; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004867:Equipment Design; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D013677:Medical Laboratory Science; D009873:Operating Rooms; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014193:Trauma Centers