McLEOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 26 MARCH 2013

McLeod Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in the state to install a 320-slice CT system as well as imaging technology which improves the early detection of lung cancer.

Aquilion ONE

Beginning with a single-slice system, CT technology has advanced from 4-, 8-, 16-, 32- and most recently, a 64-slice system. 

A decade in the making, the 320-slice Toshiba Aquilion ONE is one of the most advanced medical imaging devices available. 

It is the world’s first CT system capable of showing real-time organ function, such as blood flowing through the brain or a heart beating, and it is the only system capable of imaging bone and soft tissue in motion because it has 320 rows of detectors, whereas typical CT scanners may have 16 or 64 rows. 

"With this technology, we have the opportunity to scan more of the patient’s body in less time," says Dr. Sam Hill, with Florence Radiological Associates. "Another benefit is that the Aquilion ONE is capable of producing clear images even when the patient cannot remain completely still."

The Aquilion ONE is fast enough to image the entire heart in less than a heartbeat and reduces radiation exposure by up to 80%.  

It enables physicians to make quicker, more accurate diagnoses for patients, leading to faster and more successful treatment of the patient.

ClearRead Bone Suppression

Developed by Riverain Technologies, ClearRead Bone Suppression is an innovative image enhancement technology designed to increase the clarity of chest X-rays by removing bone on the digital image. McLeod Radiologists use this technology as part of the normal reading process of chest X-rays, and it requires no additional radiation dose or patient procedure.

"This is the most significant advancement in chest radiography since digital imaging became available," said Dr. Gregor Cleveland, with Florence Radiological Associates.

Dr. Cleveland has played an instrumental role in the implementation of this state-of-the-art technology. He presented the project to the McLeod Foundation for grant funding to acquire the software.

McLeod physicians annually diagnose more than 1,000 new cases of cancer in the region, and of these cases, lung cancer continues to remain one of the top diagnosed sites.

In addition, McLeod Radiology Services perform approximately 250 chest X-rays per day; therefore, ClearRead Bone Suppression presents a significant opportunity to detect diseases sooner.

Recent studies show that ClearRead Bone Suppression enables the detection of one in six previously missed nodules, allowing the radiologists to detect lung cancer at early stages where more treatment options for the patient exist and survival rates are higher.

These new pieces of advanced technology are providing patients of McLeod Regional Medical Center with safer care and earlier diagnoses.