Monongahela Valley Hospital has added the 64-slice LightSpeed VCT (Volume Computed Tomography) system to its arsenal of technology to care for mid-Monongahela Valley patients. The 64-slice capability enables new imaging procedures in cardiology as well as faster imaging of the more traditional CT procedures.

According to Patrick J. Alberts, senior vice president and chief operating officer at MVH, this unit represents “the latest innovation in computed tomography technology” and is “the next generation of CT imaging by offering game changing clinical applications.”

In cardiology applications, the 64-slice CT scanner can capture images of a beating heart in five heartbeats or other organs in the body in a second and can perform whole body trauma scans in 10 seconds, Alberts said. This, he added, is “more than twice as fast” as conventional multi-slice CT scanners.

“And it does so without sacrificing clarity,” Alberts said. “Its sub-millimeter resolution offers spectacular views of veins and arteries. For physicians, volume coverage means new diagnostic power including the ability to routinely perform non-invasive angiography, rapid tests for Emergency Department stroke and chest pain and whole body trauma.

“In other words, the new 64-slice CT scanner provides medically advanced technology which includes the ability to perform virtual cardiac catheterizations,” Alberts continued. “With the increased volume of patients seen in our Emergency Department and CT scans becoming the preferred test, volumes in this specialty are continuing to grow.”

The new scanner, the third in operation at Monongahela Valley Hospital, is housed in an addition constructed at the back of the hospital adjacent to the two existing CT scanners.

Vinod N. Chablani, M.D., medical director of radiology (medical imaging) services at MVH, said the 64-slice CT’s broad coverage and speed “helps reduce the artifacts caused by beat-to-beat variability.”

“This results in more robust, repeatable procedures, greater vessel visualization and shorter breath holds for ill or elderly patients,” Dr. Chablani said. “The Triple Rule Out feature of the equipment helps clinicians rule out, or in, three of the most life-threatening critical conditions in chest pain in one single scan – aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism and coronary artery disease.

“Once a stroke occurs, it is commonly believed that treatment must be delivered in a three-hour window to ensure the best outcome for the patient,” he added. “The new CT offers the speed and resolution required for rapid examination of blood vessels in the brain (perfusion studies). This enables physicians to make a quick diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment while reducing the number of exams a patient may need to undergo.”

Alberts said the benefits of the new technology include:

• New diagnostic options for the work-up of a cardiac patient such as virtual cardiac catheterizations.
• Faster patient exams.
• Less time needed for breath holds, which can mean less stress for the patient.
• Easier access/wheelchair access to the patient table (lower table height).

Benefits for physicians, Dr. Chablani said, are:

• A full suite of applications to assist in the examination of the head, abdomen, chest and spine.
• Automatic reformatting of images if clinically significant.
• Scans as fast as 0.35 seconds which means faster patient examinations.

“Higher speed scanning translates to clearer, sharper images with fewer artifacts caused by patient movement or the movement of an organ such as a beating heart,” Dr. Chablani said.

Alberts said Monongahela Valley Hospital’s investment of $1-million for the 64-slice CT scanner “signifies our ongoing commitment to providing our patients and our community with cutting edge technology.”

The hospital has invested some $7-million dollars in upgrading its Medical Imaging Department over the past several years.

In December 2006, MVH opened its new Medical Imaging Reading Rooms. This enlarged area was designed as a first step to increase the efficiency of the radiology service and provide the appropriate space necessary for a Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS), “which will be necessary as we strive for our goal of a filmless Medical Imaging Department,” Alberts said.

“Through the utilization of a PACS, digitized images will be available on any computer terminal which has the appropriate software and screen resolution capabilities,” he said. “To launch the PACS project, we will first place the studies from the three CT scanners on computer rather than film. Other modalities will be converted from film to digital images during the next year.”

Earlier this year the hospital also completed expansion of its Ultrasound Department. This renovation increased the number of ultrasound units at Monongahela Valley Hospital to “meet the increase in demand while also reorganizing the work flow to enhance efficiency in the department,” Alberts said.