FDA Clears Two Versions of Siemens’ Somatom Perspective CT System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Siemens Healthcare’s 16- and 32-slice iterations of its Somatom Perspective computed tomography (CT) system. Designed for community and critical access hospitals as well as outpatient imaging centers, the Somatom Perspective helps facilities extend the range of available examinations to patients in their community at reduced radiation dose with one of the lowest total costs of ownership in the industry, the company claims.

The new 16- and 32-slice versions of the Somatom Perspective bring scanning technologies to a broader clientele, with the option of upgrading to the system’s 64- and 128-slice configurations, which have been available since 2012, Siemens bigwigs said. The new Somatom Perspective configurations, like other new CT scanners from Siemens, enable healthcare providers to comply with the NEMA XR-29 Smart Dose Standard, helping ensure a safer imaging experience for patients.

The 16-slice Somatom Perspective is ideal for facilities that need a scanner capable of high-volume routine scanning. In addition to being suitable for routine oncology scans as well as head, neck, lung and abdominal imaging, the Perspective 16 is suitable to help clinicians ensure delivery of pain-relieving analgesics to the correct location during surgery, the company noted in a news release. The 32-slice configuration is designed to provide more detailed imaging for bone fractures, inner ear examinations, and vascular applications. Both the 16- and 32-slice configurations come standard with Siemens’ SAFIRE (Sinogram Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction) algorithm, an iterative CT reconstruction method based on raw data. SAFIRE enables the user to either reduce patient radiation dose by as much as 60 percent compared to previous filtered back projection techniques or improve image quality correspondingly.

“With these new 16- and 32-slice versions of the Somatom Perspective, Siemens is helping facilities increase their ability to accommodate more patients or to replace outdated technology with a solution that delivers the latest, dose-reducing and workflow-enhancing technologies at an ideal total cost of ownership,” said Murat Gungor, vice president, CT and radiation oncology business management, Siemens Healthcare.

Exclusive to the Somatom Perspective is its eCockpit, which features technologies that enhance the longevity of the scanner’s most expensive and fragile component – the X-ray tube. eCockpit includes eMode, which automatically selects scan parameters that reduce wear and tear on the X-ray tube; eStart, which provides a smoother start up time during lulls in the scanning day; and eSleep, which stops the X-ray tube and detector inside the gantry from spinning when the scanner is not in use. The Somatom Perspective also includes automated solutions that help simplify time-consuming, complex procedures, supporting clinical personnel at every stage of the CT examination and allowing them to spend more focusing on patients. Additionally, a standard illumination moodlight contributes to a soothing patient environment.