GE Upgrades Discovery IQ PET/CT Scanner

The second-generation Discovery IQ features five rings of PET detectors, versus four on the previous generation of the system. The new configuration has a variety of benefits for potential customers, according to the company.

For example, users of the second-generation Discovery IQ will be able to perform motion-free PET studies without the use of a respiratory gating device, which is currently required for such exams. These devices can be difficult to use, and as a result, only about 5% of PET scans employ them.

The new-generation model will also be able to acquire “cleaner” PET data compared with the four-ring version of Discovery IQ, according to the company. This will make it easier to analyze PET data with artificial intelligence algorithms.

About 500 Discovery IQ PET/CT scanners are currently installed in the field, according to the company, and first-generation units will have an upgrade path to the new model.

Also at SNMMI 2019, GE highlighted its Discovery MI flagship PET/CT scanner, and NM/CT 870 CZT SPECT/CT camera with 7.25-mm cadmium zinc telluride digital detectors. On NM/CT 870 CZT, GE has added the ability to scan patients with medium-energy radiopharmaceuticals, such as lutetium and indium-111. Such radiopharmaceuticals are becoming increasingly common with the rise of theranostic agents that have both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. – Aunt Minnie