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State-of-the-art technology for better care
Sharper, faster, gentler: The Robert Bosch Hospital has acquired three new computer tomographs that improve diagnostics and therapy and offer patients an increased level of safety and comfort. The “star” among them is the Naeotom-Alpha, a high-tech scanner that counts photons. Up to now, this is used in only 50 clinics worldwide.
A quantum-leap in modern technology: The Robert Bosch Hospital is the only non-university hospital in Germany that uses the Photon Counting CT Naeotom Alpha in treatment.
Computer tomography has long since become an indispensable part of radiology departments in hospitals and practices. The technology provides sectional images of the body without overlapping and allows visualisation of tissue regions that are not visible with normal X-ray examinations. The Robert Bosch Hospital (RBK) has now elevated its CT-equipment up to the highest level of medical technology with three tomographs and a multi-million investment.
Just like the change from black and white TV to colour TV
“In terms of dimension, you can imagine it as the replacement of black and white television by colour TV. The RBK thus has excellent possibilities for both inpatient and outpatient pre-and post-clinical diagnostics”, says Prof. Dr. med. Alexander Maßmann, head physician of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the RBK, explaining the enormous technical progress.
The star among the new devices is the Photon Counting CT Naeotom Alpha, a scanner that counts photons. In Germany, the RBK is the only non-university hospital that uses the Naeotom Alpha for its patients. The device is only being use in 50 clinics worldwide so far.
Twice the image sharpness
Especially where the finest structures in the body are to be assessed, such as blood vessels, the lungs or tiny bones, the double image sharpness can make diagnostics easier and provide more certainty for the person being examined. For example, follow-up monitoring of COVID-19 patients can be significantly improved. “The analysis of functional moving processes was not possible before, now it is”, says Maßmann. Moreover, one can often do without time-consuming and cost-intensive additional examinations.
The use of the new CT scanners allows more precise prognoses and shorter examination times.
One of the other scanners, the Somatom X.cite, conveys a pleasant feeling of a wide space thanks to its extremely large device opening of 82 centimetres. Especially people who tend to be claustrophobic will feel comfortable here.
Mainly patients in cardiology, oncology and pulmonology benefit from the precise, non-invasive applications, with significantly reduced radiation and contrast medium doses as well as a shorter examination time due to the high speed with which the scanners produce 3D sectional images in fractions of a second.
“Diseases can be detected at a much earlier stage, resulting in better changes of recovery.”
In addition, the use of the new CT scanners has several other advantages. “Diseases can be detected at a much earlier stage”, highlights Maßmann the plus points, “which means that the patients have a better chance of being cured.” Moreover the large amount of additional information allows the precise classification of diseases. “This allows us to make more precise forecasts”, says the head physician. Last but not least, specialisation and research in diagnostics and therapy can be advanced, and the exchange with university hospitals and research industries would be strengthened on the whole.
Prof. Mark Dominik Alscher, Medical Director of the Robert Bosch Hospital and Managing Director of the Bosch Health Campus, views the investment as an important step. “Artificial intelligence will give us the possibility to process huge amounts of data efficiently, especially in imaging. It will be possible to use reference cases in a very short time and thus optimise the treatment of patients.”