St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) recently announced a $30 million investment in CT technology from GE HealthCare that will give St. Luke’s patients access to some of the most cutting-edge technology available.
The investment will help provide St. Luke’s access to the latest CT technology, extend the life of devices and help ensure a more consistent experience for patients. Additionally, the CT scanners will have a comprehensive suite of clinical applications, as well as the latest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a platform that seamlessly connects and integrates with the existing St. Luke’s network.
Patient benefits are expected to include faster scans and sharper images (when compared to previous CT systems), a potential reduction in radiation doses, the capacity to better detect lesions or tissue abnormalities and to map vascular structures, and the ability to capture fine detail in the head and neck, which is critical in stroke diagnosis. The scanners are also expected to be helpful to St. Luke’s pediatric patients, in trauma cases and especially in advanced cardiac exams, through the use of GE HealthCare’s SnapShot Freeze technology. That technology, combined with fast rotation speed and wide coverage provided by the GE HealthCare scanners, provides imaging in just one heartbeat.
Quicker, more accurate, more convenient diagnoses will be the end result, according to Dr. David Furman, Medical Director of Computed Tomography at St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Furman said the process of bringing the technology to SLUHN began about 18 months ago. He also serves as Chief of Radiology at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus, which will be the first location in the country to have the new equipment installed.
GE HealthCare’s Smart Subscription will provide updates in software and AI technology advances as they’re available, helping to extend the life of the CT scanners, according to GE HealthCare’s Tina Checchia.
“What St. Luke’s will be able to offer patients with this new technology is incredible,” Checchia said.
Dr. Robert Fournier, vice chair of Radiology and Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine for St. Luke’s University Health Network, said there is “a great deal of enthusiasm about what this technology can bring to our patients. It’s a true network initiative that brings us up to global speed.”
He added, “and with this big leap in technology, St. Luke’s is making sure that we continue to evolve and stay at the forefront of medical innovation and patient care.”
“I feel really fortunate to be part of a network that is so committed to improving patient care through an investment like this,” said Furman. “This represents an incredible advance in our technological capabilities. It’s a very exciting development.”
Note: This local health news is brought to you in partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network.