Solid state cardiac gamma camera arrives at John Radcliffe Hospital
Link Medical has installed a CZT (cadmium zinc telluride) solid state gamma camera in the department of nuclear cardiology at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
The D-Spect Cardio is provided by Spectrum Dynamics, a manufacturer of solid state technology for nuclear medicine. Spectrum Dynamics is said to be the first company to have designed and manufactured CZT-based technology for nuclear medicine. D-Spect Cardio is able to perform dynamic SPECT and myocardial flow reserve (MFR). According to a study in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, performing MFR dynamic 99mTc- sestamibi CZT-SPECT was technically feasible and provided similar MFR compared to 15O-water PET and high diagnostic value for detecting impaired MFR and abnormal fractional flow reserve in patients with stable coronary artery disease.
With a couch weight capacity of over 400kg D-Spect Cardio is capable of imaging bariatric patients. This is possible due to the imaging technology that Spectrum Dynamics has developed which allows large patients to be scanned without image truncation due to positioning errors. It can acquire a complete gated SPECT study in as little as three minutes, improving clinical workflow and reducing the chance of patient motion. The extremely high sensitivity of the detectors allows for reductions in injected dose.
The energy resolution of CZT makes simultaneous stress and rest imaging possible with perfect image registration, as well as accommodating advanced multi-isotope protocols.
The design of the detector assembly provides 3D images of the patient’s heart without moving the patient or gantry, which eliminates the chance of a collision, pinching or patient claustrophobia.
Picture: In front are Spectrum Dynamics consultant Dr Serge Askienazi, nuclear cardiology clinical lead Dr Sergei Pavlitchouk and secretary Simon Overy. Behind them are Link Medical managing director Bob Kenny and ceo Peter Dobson.
Published on page 4 of the February 2020 issue of RAD Magazine.