The Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center at Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) in New York, U.S., has been applying CARE (Combined Applications to Reduce Exposure) since the installation of its first Artis^® zee biplane system in early 2008. As taking CARE in radiation dose management and interventional imaging is an important aspect, Siemens has been developing dose reduction technologies since 1994. The innovative CARE applications are able to help the interventionalist reduce dose considerably and to protect patients from unnecessary dose or overexposure without compromising image quality.

The Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center at SBUMC not only benefits from the CARE technology that is part of the Artis zee family, but also from syngo^® DynaCT with integrated CARE features that equip two new Artis zee biplane system rooms. CARE offers a variety of advanced applications helping reduce radiation exposure for patients, physicians, and medical staff. “The Low Dose acquisition program is integrated seamlessly with an easy-to-use interface and can be accessed right from the footswitch. CARE makes the task of keeping the dose low virtually effortless,” states Charles Mazzarese, medical radiographer at SBUMC. With the optional syngo DynaCT incorporating CARE for lower dose radiation, the radiographers acquire real-time three-dimensional, CT-like images. According to Henry Woo, MD, cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon, and director of the Cerebrovascular and Stroke Center at SBUMC, CARE is an important set of features which increases workflow effectively, particularly during stressful days. Moreover, taking CARE is especially helpful when working at high pressure, as it occurs in cases of emergency. “With certain modalities, such as angiography, you can potentially deliver large amounts of radiation without even realizing it. Having the technology to manage radiation exposure for you – especially in emergency situations or when you are managing a complex, delicate procedure – automatically puts a lot of minds at ease,” Woo explains.

Besides reducing radiation dose, image quality is, nevertheless, a crucial aspect. According to Dr. Woo, “Image quality is critically important for us. These sophisticated tools allow us to see what we need to see without delivering as much radiation. The fact that we can provide cutting edge technologies like syngo DynaCT, angiography, or CT perfusion, and deliver real-time advanced data sets right on the table contributes greatly to the quality of care we provide to patients. Despite the dose reduction, we aren’t compromising image quality,” explains Mazzarese.