November 4, 2014 : 2 min read

Philips Brilliance 64 CT Scanner System Review

The Brilliance 64, made by Philips, combines excellent image quality with remarkable speed. It is able to produce detailed pictures of any organ in just a few seconds and can provide sharp, clear, three-dimensional images just as quickly.

We'll take a deeper look at some of the details and what they mean for imaging practices (namely cardiology and oncology) below.

Scan Speeds

If you compare the 64-slice scanner to a 40-slice scanner you’ll see that the 40 collects images covering up to 32 millimeters in a single pass while the Philips 64 can cover about 40 millimeters at a pass (in about 0.4 seconds). 40-slice Brilliance scanners can achieve this slice count and scan speed with a field upgrade to 64-slice technology.

At that rate, the Brilliance 64, or an upgraded 40-slice, can gather a high-resolution image of a heart, brain, or a pair of lungs in about five seconds. A whole body scan, (in search of a blood clot, for example) can be finished in around 30 seconds.

For Cardiology

When it was introduced, 64-slice technology was very exciting to doctors who wanted to study the beating heart. It provided the first clear, non-invasive images of the heart and its major vessels. The technology of a 64 allows scans to be timed to use only images gathered between heart contractions. This allows the heart and vessels to be seen without the blurring that is caused by the motion of the beating heart.

For Oncology

64-slice scanners like the Brilliance 64 have had an impact on cancer diagnosis and treatment as well. In cancer treatment, the speed and precision of the Brilliance 64 allows physicians to look at dynamic processes, not just static ones – such as the perfusion of a contrast agent as it moves toward, around, and through a tumor. Where doctors used to just monitor changes in tumor size, 64-slice scanners can provide earlier views of how patients are responding to therapy. In short, it helps doctors predict responses to treatment, rather than simply describing them as they emerge.

The Philips Brilliance 64 can also:

Evaluate plaque within the carotid arteries (5 to 8 seconds)
Search for pulmonary emboli (5 seconds)
Image the coronary arteries (10 seconds)

Dose Reduction

The Philips MRC tube in the Brilliance 64 works quickly and reduces the time needed to conduct the studies, thereby reducing the amount of time a patient is exposed to radiation. The Brilliance 64 also includes DoseWise, the technology which uses the smallest dose size possible while still achieving a very high image resolution.

Other applications that are possible on the Philips 64-slice (be sure to ask up front as you shop, not all machines come with all options):

Bone Mineral Density
Brain
Endoscopy
Perfusion
Dental
Fluoroscopy
Lung analysis
Pulmonary
Virtual colonoscopy
Volume Rendering

If you're considering taking the plunge into 64-slice technology, we're ready to help you learn more about the advantages and the options that are available. Contact us to speak with one of our CT experts. You can also keep reading on your own to learn more from any of the articles below:

Paul Crawford

Paul Crawford is the Vice President of Equipment Solutions at Block Imaging. Paul connects with healthcare facilities across the world to offer CT solutions and manages the wholesale sales team. When Paul is not helping customers with their CT needs, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching MSU sports, and CrossFit.