Indian Express
14 July 2010

WITHIN a span of just five heart beats, or five–seven seconds, the entire heart can be covered by a high resolution multi slice CT scan machine.

The Poona Diagnostic Service (PDS) which was established in the city 17 years ago, has installed the Multi–Slice CT scanner at their centre in Poona Hospital.

Dr Avinash Kelkar, chief radiologist said that the machine has been brought in from USand is a class apart owing to its speedy results with high quality and a wide coverage of the organs in the body.

Approximately 3,000 patients have been diagnosed with the help of this machine which includes approximately 1,000 patients for brain, 1,500 patients for body, 150 patients for coronary and heart, 400 patients for vascular angio.

“The CT scan machine which has been functioning for the last six months has been a success so far. It has particularly helped patients with acute pain who need immediate diagnosis and treatment. For instance, if someone is suffering from chest pain, the cause of the pain is detected within ten seconds and immediate treatment can be given,” said Kelkar.

Technically, the machine has 64 channels and can take 128 slices as against other available CT scanners with 32/40 channels. The machine scans in three dimensions and provides a clear and concise image from different angles of the organ to help detect the problem.

The multi–slice CT scanner is also used in oncology and helps in detection of the exact location of cancer and to the extent it has spread within sec onds. The machine is also very effective if a paralysis is detected. The machine helps the doctor in diagnosing the cause of paralysis and then identify the appropriate type of treatment to be given.

Holistically, the machine is helpful in detecting and diagnosing any kind of ailment within seconds, leaving no room for the patient to suffer owing to delayed diagnosis.

Cases where patients are suffering from ENT problems the high resolution scan helps locate the problems in the fine ear structures and provide treatment accordingly. Furthermore the machine also acts a tool for planning a dental implant.

With a high speed, high quality CT scanner, the level of radiation dose is a concern. However, the machine ensures that the radiation dose is always low without compromising on the image quality and never crosses the level that can cause any harm to the patient as per international standards, said Kelkar.