The new Biograph mCT Flow released by Siemens Healthcare is the first PET/CT system that moves the patient through the gantry in one continuous motion while still acquiring PET data. Known as FlowMotion, this technology allows the physician to better define imaging protocols based on the scanned organ and provides better image quality with details of the severity of the lesion.

1. Siemens BiographmCT Flow PET/CT system ends “stop and go” scanning with FlowMotion Technology
By Jamie Dildy
December 12, 2013
The new BiographmCT Flow released by Siemens Healthcare is the first PET/CT system that moves the
patient through the gantry in one continuous motion while still acquiring PET data. Known as
FlowMotion, this technology allows the physician to better define imaging protocols based on the
scanned organ and provides better image quality with details of the severity of the lesion. This helps to
eliminate overlapped scans.12.12.13
The previous BiographmCT system used sequential static imaging or “stop and go” acquisition where the
table moves to a position and stops to acquire an image and then continues moving to the next position
and stops to acquire an image and so on, until the entire scan has been performed. The “stop and go”
acquisition leads to multiple overlapping scanning positions which can cause image distortion and gives
false values of a detected lesion which provides the physician with incorrect information regarding the
severity of the lesion. The stop and go acquisition could also startled the patients which led to motion
artifacts. With the continuous flow of the table, the patient has a much better experience during the
scan and the image quality is notably improved.
The Radiology Technologist (RT) can easily adjust the speed, image resolution and respiratory motion
using the Flowmotion technology; this allows RTs to precisely choose the beginning and end of a scan.
This process helps reduce the CT radiation dose up to 32% to the patient. The BiographmCT Flow system
also comes with the TrueV technology which allows an increase of 70% in counts (number of photons
collected by crystals in the detector). This helps lower dose rates by reducing the injected radiotracer
dose and by doubling the scan speed. The TrueV technology helps decrease scan time by 50%.
The BiographmCT Flow scanner has a 78cm bore, short tunnel and 500 pound table capacity. Optional
upgrades for this system include 128 slice CT and an expanded PET field of view up to 21.6 cm.
About the Analyst
Jamie Dildy, BS, R.T. (R), Clinical Analyst at MD Buyline
- See more at: http://www.mdbuyline.com/biograph-mct-flow-petct-system-ends-stop-and-goscanning-with-flowmotion-technology#sthash.0X5blRr9.dpbs