The 64 Slice Brilliance CT scanner from Philips Medical Systems features advanced technology that produces split-second high quality images, permitting doctors to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests.  With this new CT scanner, BRMC will be able to more effectively detect and treat a range of life threatening illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lung disease.  The possibility of discovering disease in an early stage, when a wider array of effective treatment options may be available, will help doctors make an accurate diagnosis, and recommend appropriate treatment for their patients.

The extensive image information obtained from the Brilliance CT scanner generates very detailed 3D images which can be used for diagnosis and also shared very quickly with referring physicians and surgeons, where needed, for pre-surgical planning and for treatment evaluation and follow up.

The unmatched speed and sub-millimeter detail of the new CT scanner will also contribute to more rapid assessment and decision making in trauma cases, where physicians may have to make life and death decisions within minutes.

Patients needed a CT scan will find that BRMC's new scanner offers a much more pleasant experience.  Having your heart and coronary arteries evaluated using a CT scanner reduces the need for drugs to regulate the rhythm of the heart.  And there is no hospital stay required.  With much faster scan times patients will usually be asked to carry out one brief breath hold during each scan.

All CT scanners use X-rays, however the new Brilliance scanner uses a significantly lower amount of X-ray energy than many of the other CT systems on the market.

A CT scan produces a cross-sectional image of the human anatomy which helps the clinician to rule out or confirm the presence of certain disease, and in some cases to evaluate the extent of injuries to a trauma patient, such as someone involved in an automobile accident.  During the non-invasive test, the patient is placed on a table and moved incrementally through the squared off donut-shaped scanner while an X-ray beam is projected through cross sections of their anatomy.  The X-ray energy passes through the patient and is recorded on electronic detectors in the scanner.  This information is then sent to a specialized computer that reconstructs the information into individual slices and combines them sequentially into a comprehensive volume image of the entire area scanned.  The thinner the slices, the more revealing the detail is in the resulting images, and the more definitive the exam results.