Tomah Health has added a state-of-the-art 128 slice computed tomography (CT) scanner in the hospital’s imaging department.
The new scanner replaces a 64-slice scanner that had been used for the past eight years.
According to imaging dept. director Jessica Kennedy, the new Siemens SOMATOM® Definition AS CT scanner provides a number of patient friendly features while producing consistent, higher quality images.
“At [Tomah Health], we are dedicated to achieving the highest levels of patient safety. For this reason, we use CT imaging technology that enables excellent quality images using low radiation doses,” said Kennedy. “Our investment in this low dose CT technology is part of our ongoing commitment to our patient’s health and well-being.”
CT scans use X-rays, or invisible beams of ionizing radiation that pass through the body and are altered by different tissues to create images.
Kennedy said Tomah Health joins an elite group of hospitals in Wisconsin with the estimated $670,000 scanner.
The 128 slice scanner refers to the number of detectors that are present on the unit thereby creating more detailed images in a shorter amount of time.