Manipal Hospital launches Fusion Imaging modality

Combines Nuclear Scan with CT/MRI for better diagnosis and clinical assessment

Bangalore, January 30th 2006:Manipal hospital has installed the state-of-the-art Gamma camera – GE Infinia Hawkeye, making it the first hospital in Karnataka to be equipped with this facility. It allows a CT scan to be performed along with a nuclear scan of the same patient without having to move the patient to another room. The advantage of this modality is in making an accurate diagnosis of various diseases such as tumour imaging, orthopaedics, cardiac and neurological disorders, by virtue of the CT scan obtained and at the same time being able to provide functional information about the disease, making it a valuable and indispensable tool for the clinicians.

Says Dr. R.V. Parameswaran, Head – Department of Nuclear Medicine, Manipal Hospital, “Fusion imaging is the best thing to happen in the field of medical imaging over the last decade. Fusion imaging means fusing a data acquired using one modality into another set of clinical data, which is obtained using a different modality.” The CT images of a patient are fused into the nuclear scan images of the same patient, which is obtained from a single machine. “This helps clinicians in better diagnosis and clinical assessment”, added Dr. Parameswaran.

Gamma cameras are routinely used as one of the main imaging modalities in conjunction with routine CT scanners and MRI. But, the main distinguishing factor between the two is that Gamma camera (or Nuclear Scanners) provides physiological information of an organ or a system, whereas CT scan, Ultrasound or MRI provides the structural or anatomical information of the same. The Hybrid Scanners like the one installed at Manipal Hospital is the single machine, which has the capability of doing
anatomical and functional imaging.

Nuclear Medicine, where Radioisotopes are used intravenously for diagnostic purposes has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade. Single head gamma cameras have made way for multi-detector scanners, which are equipped with better processing software.

Issued by:                                                     For further information, contact:
D.K. Venktesh                                                Dr. R.V. Parameswaran
Manager – Communications                           Head – Nuclear Medicine
Ph: 98454 50336                                            Ph: 98453 09293