With an initial order of 10 mobile BodyTom computed tomography (CT) scanners in China, Samsung NeuroLogica today announced that it will dedicate significant resources to expediting the manufacturing and shipping of its scanners to help mitigate the growing coronavirus crisis in the country.
CT imaging is recognized as the most effective means of evaluating patients suspected of infection with the virus, without the false negatives of DNA testing, which have recently emerged. Especially suited for screening a contagious disease, the 32-slice BodyTom’s portable, internally shielded design enables scanning of those quarantined at the patient’s point-of-care, minimizing exposure of unaffected individuals to the disease during the exam process. The full-body, high-image-quality CT is compact and easily maneuverable, accommodating small spaces in cruise ships and other unusual scanning settings where patients are being kept in quarantine.
“As a mobile CT scanner with dose-appropriate Lung Screening Protocols, BodyTom is the most effective solution for use in environments like they are faced with in China. Our Boston-based employees are working tirelessly to build as many scanners as possible to ship to the affected areas to help definitively diagnose patients,” says David Webster, COO for Samsung NeuroLogica. “In a recent study published in Radiology, CT helped to diagnose a number of cases that DNA testing did not pick up1. In one instance, even a second DNA test several days after the initial evaluation remained negative while signs of the coronavirus were immediately seen on CT.”
Study authors note that this, along with the slow turnaround time and limited DNA testing supplies in China, highlights the need for better screening for early-stage disease. CT is particularly appropriate for patients with a high likelihood of virus infection.
With assistance from its Chinese distributor, Chindex, NeuroLogica will mount a humanitarian effort to step up delivery of the BodyTom units, potentially from months to weeks following the initial order throughout China to help meet that need.
BodyTom is the first mobile, full-body, 32-slice CT with full diagnostic image quality. The system has an 85cm gantry and 60cm field of view and can accommodate patients of all sizes. The combination of rapid scan time, flexible settings and immediate image viewing makes the BodyTom a valuable tool to all facilities needing versatile real-time mobile imaging.
1 Xingzhi Xie, Zheng Zhong, Wei Zhao, Chao Zheng, Fei Wang, & Jun Liu (2020). Chest CT for Typical 2019-nCoV Pneumonia: Relationship to Negative RT-PCR Testing. Radiology. Retrieved from https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.2020200343
About NeuroLogica
NeuroLogica, a healthcare subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets innovative imaging technologies and is committed to delivering fast, easy and accurate diagnostic solutions to healthcare providers. NeuroLogica, the global corporate headquarters and manufacturer of Samsung computed tomography, is also the US headquarters for sales, marketing and distribution of all Samsung digital radiography and ultrasound systems. NeuroLogica’s growing portfolio of advanced medical technologies are used worldwide in leading healthcare institutions helping providers enhance patient care, improve patient satisfaction, and increase workflow efficiency. For more information, please visit www.NeuroLogica.com