US FDA clears "first adaptive CT scanner" from Siemens
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The US FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Siemens Medical Solutions Healthcare’s new CT system, the Somatom Definition AS. The firm describes it as the "world's first adaptive CT scanner". The product is already CE marked for sale in Europe and was launched there in December 2007. The clearance sets the stage for Siemens' "CT war" with other giants Philips, Toshiba and GE, which have all launched or plan to launch new scanners. Although the Somatom Definition AS cannot compete in the so-called slice war, boasting only 128 slices, Siemens claims it can "achieve full coverage of any organ in 4D" and has a larger field of view – 27cm. It can also be used with the company's Adaptive Dose Shield technology to block unnecessary overradiation.