The SOMATOM Definition Flash is, a new dual-source CT from Siemens, requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomical details faster than ever before. The fastest scanning speed in CT (i.e., 43 cm/s) and a temporal resolution of 75 ms, enable for example complete scans of the entire chest region in just 0.6 seconds. Thus, patients are no longer required to hold their breath during the exam the way they had in the past. At the same time, the SOMATOM Definition Flash operates at an extremely reduced radiation dose. For example, a spiral heart scan can be performed with less than 1 millisievert (mSv), whereas the average effective dose required for this purpose usually ranges from 8 mSv to 40 mSv.

This new generation of dual-source CT scanners, featuring two X-ray tubes and two detectors, will provide a genuine innovation boost to dual-source technology. The enormous speed of the SOMATOM Definition Flash offers decisive advantages, especially regarding examinations of moving structures, such as the thorax and the heart. The gantry (i.e., the X-ray detector system surrounding the bore) rotates about its own axis in just 0.28 s. It is this extraordinary rotational speed that enables a scan speed never before attained in CT (i.e., up to 43 cm per second) and temporal resolution of 75 milliseconds. The patient is moved through the CT tube more than twice as fast as with any conventional system.

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  SOMATOM Definition Flash[6.79 MB]

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