Philips introduces ‘big-bore’ PET/CT

In a bid to extend radiation oncology applications, engineers at Philips Healthcare have widened the bore of the company's premium Gemini TF PET/CT scanner to create the industry's first big-bore hybrid. Priced north of $2 million, the Gemini TF Big Bore is scheduled to begin shipping next year. Philips is showcasing the Big Bore this week on the RSNA exhibit floor, and beta testing will begin at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in the next several months.

Philips' proprietary TruFlight time-of-flight technology, which characterizes the Gemini TF, allowed the company to widen the bore from 71.7 cm to 85 cm without compromising image quality or scan time, according to the company. The new system offers a combination of accessories and localization devices designed specifically for use in radiation oncology. Its large bore meets treatment planning requirements for patients who must be scanned in extended positions, as in cases of breast and colorectal scanning, by allowing them to be positioned for simulation in the same manner as they would be positioned to receive therapy.

Precise measurements are particularly important in radiation treatment planning. Toward that end, the company has integrated a more rigid table than the one used on the conventional Gemini PET/CT, providing very precise localization based on rigid patient framing.