AUSTIN, Texas - (Dec. 1, 2011) - Starting this week, the most advanced computed tomography (CT) scanner available in Travis and surrounding counties begins its expected 24/7 work life adjacent to University Medical Center Brackenridge's emergency room.
"With this new CT scanner, we can potentially save more lives. It clearly is a life-saving tool," said Dr. Andrew Reifsnyder, UMC Brackenridge chief of radiology and president of the Seton network medical staff.
"I remember as a surgical intern in the early '90s spending 1½ to 2 hours using a single-slice scanner to evaluate a single patient. Now, for the first time in our community, we can get far superior information for cardiac, vascular, neurologic and other emergencies in a fraction of that time. That means our patients can receive any necessary life-saving treatment much more quickly," said Dr. Carlos Brown, trauma medical director, UMC Brackenridge.
This breakthrough technology - a 128-slice SOMATOM® Definition AS+ system developed by Siemens Healthcare - will allow doctors to X-ray a trauma patient's entire body and start checking clearer, computer-generated, three-dimensional images for injuries, ailments and even blood flow in human organs - all in less than 30 seconds. The system is capable of producing nearly 100 images in just a couple of seconds.
It also is the first CT scanner to accommodate obese patients with a larger 78-centimeter bore, broader image range and 660-pound table weight capacity.
Seton is proud to have four hospitals – the only hospitals in Central Texas - that have earned the