PHOTON COUNTING CT SCANNER

Together with generous donors, the QEII Foundation is raising $2.1 million to bring a Photon Counting CT (PCCT) scanner, the next generation of diagnostic imaging, to the QEII.

WHY YOU ARE NEEDED

Some medical issues are very clear, a heart attack or a tumour for instance. But many medical issues and conditions have doctors looking for tears and lesions sometimes less than a millimeter in size — the health equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.

The hunt for these critical issues can result in multiple invasive procedures, which are stressful for both the patient and the healthcare system.

What if one piece of technology could change all this? What if the QEII could be at the forefront of computed tomography (CT) scanning innovation — delivering faster, clearer and more precise answers when they matter most?

THE PROJECT

A photon counting CT (PCCT) scanner is the next generation of this essential scanning technology, rocking the diagnostic imaging world with new and efficient ways to address the issues patients face. This project represents a transformative leap forward in diagnostic imaging — redefining what clinicians can see and how quickly they can act.

This innovative technology detects and counts individual x-ray photons and measures their energy, enabling enhanced tissue differentiation — creating a 3D picture of what’s going on inside a patient with significantly less radiation exposure, faster scan times and increased resolution, up to 27 times better than conventional CT technology in place across Nova Scotian hospitals today. With sharper, more detailed imaging, clinicians can detect minute abnormalities that might otherwise go unnoticed. This enhanced resolution improves diagnostic accuracy, which can reduce wait times for other imaging scans, or potentially eliminate the need for additional scans altogether — valuing the patients’ time and benefiting the efficiency of the healthcare system.

This major advancement in CT technology is currently only available in three hospitals across Canada, all west of Toronto. The QEII Foundation believes our patients deserve access to this incredible — and now fundamental — technology, close to home at the QEII.

Pictured: Example of the NAEOTOM Alpha photon counting CT system

Your gift today will help bring clearer diagnostic imaging to heart health, cancer care, neurology and musculoskeletal patients. Will you join us?

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What donors will make possible.

With the support of generous donors through our  We Are campaign, investing in a PCCT scanner at the QEII will:

Reduce a patient’s radiation exposure by approx. 30 per cent, benefiting the patient and the diagnostic imaging care team which read the scans.

Enable earlier detection of medical issues with enhanced resolution of scans and 3D scanning abilities.

Attract the brightest minds in diagnostic imaging to the QEII to train and work on this next generation in CT scanning technology.

Create system-wide efficiencies with faster scan times and new technology that will cut down the patient’s need for multiple scans.

Introduce new and innovative technology into the system that has potential to impact other care areas, such as urology.