Available from Siemens Healthineers is a photon-counting CT scanner for use in radiation therapy (RT) imaging. NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime for RT is equipped with a novel cadmium telluride (CdTe) crystal detector that adds a wealth of new clinically relevant information and improves image resolution and contrast, paving the way for precise radiation therapy.
CT is a key modality in RT because it provides very detailed three-dimensional images of a patient's anatomy and helps calculate how radiation will interact with various tissues, enabling accurate dose calculation.
Siemens Healthineers introduced the world’s first photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) scanner in 2021. Since then, PCCT has successfully arrived in radiology departments across the globe. As a next step and in co-creation with several clinical partners around the world, Siemens Healthineers has transferred all RT-specific features to photon-counting CT to fully leverage its advanced imaging capabilities for treatment planning.
By transferring prescriptions and scanning requirements from Oncology Information System ARIA CORE directly to NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime, a digital workflow is established. This leads to an automatic selection of the corresponding RT scan protocol, thereby further enhancing the entire radiation therapy simulation process. Patients who receive radiation therapy can benefit from optimised treatment plans resulting from additional clinically relevant information from a single scan, and tumours can be targeted for accurate radiation therapy.
“Photon-counting technology marks a significant leap in radiotherapy imaging. With NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime for RT, we bring this innovation into clinical practice – allowing for more detailed images providing additional information for treatment planning," said Francesco Porcu, business line manager for radiation oncology at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland. “At Siemens Healthineers, we are committed to expanding access to advanced imaging for radiotherapy teams and their patients, in line with our vision of a world without fear of cancer.”
Hrvoje Kaučić, MD, Chief Oncologist at Radiochirurgia Zagreb, Croatia, who has been working with the new scanner in RT for the past six months, said: “Compared to previous images, those acquired with our new photon-counting CT scanner show considerably greater detail. For instance, we can now detect very small liver lesions, as small as 4 mm, on post-contrast images. The enhanced visibility provided by NAEOTOM Alpha. Prime in RT enables us to use much narrower clinical margins – ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes."
