Philips Gemini TF vs. Philips Ingenuity TF

In the continuous effort of medical imaging manufacturers to push their technology forward, improve patient and doctor experiences, and remain competitive in the marketplace, Philips has released a newer generation of their PET/CT product: the Ingenuity TF. The new scanner is, in some ways, an advancement of their Gemini TF PET/CT scanners. The question is: In which ways is it an advancement, and do those advancements make it a "no-brainer" upgrade for facilities looking to balance clinical performance and capital costs? 

To help you know the difference, we've compared these two PET/CT systems below. You'll see what's the same, what's different, and how the value proposition shakes out between the Gemini TF and the Ingenuity TF.

Philips TF PET/CT Comparison

What’s the same?

While the Ingenuity TF is a newer generation of Philips PET/CT than the Gemini TF, the PET scanner portion of the machine is unchanged. The same LYSO detectors are common to both iterations as well as the image quality and detection accuracy advantages of time of flight scanning. Functionally and aesthetically the gantries and tables of these two models are identical.

What’s different?

Though the PET side of the Ingenuity TF didn't change anything from the Gemini TF, the CT side of the scanner is notably different. Gemini TF PET/CT systems feature Brilliance Scanners as their CT portion, while Ingenuity TF systems use the Ingenuity CT. The biggest differences between the Brilliance and the Ingenuity CTs are relative to speed and efficiency. According to Philips, their Results Driven Scanning package, "reduces decision points and automates routine tasks". This package also makes Fast Preview standard on Ingenuity scanners, a feature that offers real-time reconstruction, contiguous slice display, and applies desired viewer settings to all images after the user makes adjustments only to the first.

An additional point of efficiency for the Ingenuity over the Brilliance comes from its advanced X-ray tube. Brilliance scanners have used the MRC 600 or 800. These are reliable tubes with high longevity and a mid-range replacement cost, making them a solid value for users. The Ingenuity scanners use the newer MRC Ice tube. The MRC Ice runs a liquid coolant line through its anode, dispersing heat faster and eliminating the need to perform tube warm-ups or cool-downs. The reliability of the Ice is comparable to the 600 and 800 but, given the novelty of their emergence, their replacement cost remains quite high.

The level of serviceability is also a big difference between these two systems. Just as users of the stand alone Ingenuity CT have testified about their machines, the Ingenuity TF PET/CT is kept under tight OEM wraps from a service perspective. The system even requires a monthly update via service dongle for deeper levels of service accesibility. In service terms, the Ingenuity TF is like a Gemini TF with far more strictures in place affecting third-party service. In most cases, it's probably a better value for most facilities to choose the Gemini TF with the same high-quality PET and more service options.

The Takeaway

While it is true that the Ingenuity CT provides features that make it faster and more efficient to use than the Brilliance, until the PET side of Gemini TF and Ingenuity TF systems catches up, speed features on the CT side are a moot point. This functional reality, combined with the fact that most third parties are locked out of service and prospective users would need to rely on more expensive OEM service, means we believe, right now, that the Gemini TF is a better dollar-for-dollar value, than the Ingenuity TF. 

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