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allow CR A Medical Imaging to perform more PET/CT scans per week, as well, which ultimately reduces patients' wait time for appointments." Furthermore, Dr. Chacko explains that CR A Medical Imaging is able to ensure that patients and their referring providers are receiving the ma ximum benefit — improved lesion detectability, faster scan times, increased comfort and safety, and a better all-around experience — of this new imaging device. "By working with Granny, a consultant from the device's manufacturer, we benefit from the vast amount of institutiona l experience that has already been obtained through the implementation of the Vereos Digital PET/CT System and the optimiza- tion of its scanning protocols at larger, academic hospitals," Dr. Chacko says. " We are very excited that we have the opportunity to bring all of that experi- ence and breadth of knowledge into a community setting." " More accurate diagnoses lead to a clearer understanding of how to treat patients and what treatments might benefit patients the most. That is why it is important for us to use cutting-edge technology, such as the Vereos Digital PET/CT System, which provides the highest image quality possible despite requiring lower radiation doses and shorter scan times. By using this kind of advanced technology, we are able to deliver superior results and an all-around better patient experience." — THOMAS CHACKO, MD, PARTNER AT CRA MEDICAL IMAGING, MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE MEDICAL IMAGING CENTER AND A DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGIST By the Numbers: The Vereos Digital PET/CT System + Coupling of scintillation crystals to digital detectors: 1:1 + Number of digital detectors: 23,040 + Quantitative accuracy: +/- 5% + Time-of-flight localization accu- racy: 4.6 cm + Time-of-flight resolution: 310 ps F WHM (full-width at half-maximum) + Time-of-flight effective sensitiv- ity per cm: 1,427 cps/MBq/cm Another one of the Vereos system's primary benefits to patients is an acceler- ated throughput. A 2017 study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine found that, using the Vereos system, provid- ers could perform quality whole-body PET imaging at a rate of 30 seconds per bed position or faster for average-sized patients ( patients with a BMI lower than 28) and 60 seconds per bed position or faster for larger patients (patients with a BMI between 28 and 33). In terms of cumulative table time, this translates to an average of less than seven minutes for average-sized patients and an average of less than 10 minutes for larger patients. "No one really likes lying on a table for extended periods of time," says Thomas Chacko, MD, Partner at CR A Medical Imaging, Medical Director of the Medical Imaging Center and a board-certified diagnostic radiologist. "Even shortening the scan time by just a few minutes has a two-fold benefit. First, the patient is more comfortable. Second, this increased comfort leads to better patient participa- tion and a decreased chance of patient motion. This, in t ur n, leads to even better image clarity and more accurate image reconstructions." Additionally, the Vereos system reduces patients' exposure to radiation. "We are able to inject a lower radiation dose for the PET portion of the exam, and we are also able to perform the CT scan using lower, individualized doses of radiation without losing resolution," Granny says. "This can be important for patients concerned about their exposure to radiation. Due to federal regulations on the amount of radiation staff members can be exposed to during diagnostic imaging exams, these reduced doses of radiation Vereos Digital PET/ CT System M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A L N E W Y O R K ■ 2 019 1 9