Diagnostic Technologies

New Diagnostic Technologies decrease exposure to radiation

Eight-year-old Tatiana Medina has already had 18 CT scans — more than most  people will have in a lifetime — and she will need even more in the future.

Fortunately, Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL just invested in one of the most advanced CT (a.k.a. "cat") scan technologies in the world — assuring that such tests are now remarkably safer, faster and more comfortable for Tatiana and other patients.

Tatiana Medina was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called osteogenic sarcoma in 2005. After several rounds of chemotherapy, surgeons at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL implanted a titanium prosthesis in her left leg, and removed the cancerous bone.  The precocious little girl has been cancer-free ever since, and despite a slight limp she leads a healthy, happy life at home in West Denver.

320 Slice CT Scanner

Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at P/SL invested in a new Aquilion ONE CT scanner, manufactured by Toshiba. P/SL and RMHC own the only Aquilion ONE in Colorado (just a few hospitals nationwide own one).

The benefits of this safer CT Scanner include: 

• less exposure to radiation (by 30-40%) due to the machine's ability to image an organ in a SINGLE rotation
• requires less contrast dye
• creates real-time animation of vital measurements, such as blood flow to help diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease and stroke

The benefits for pediatric patients include:

• increased speed means less sedation required to keep children still for the duration of the scan
• reduces need for anesthesia, resulting in lower cost and danger
• adjusts radiation levels automatically based on child's age, weight, and the body part being imaged

Learn more about Cancer Treatment at P/SL.