Company: Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA

Company Description: Founded more than 125 years ago, Siemens Medical Solutions is known for bringing together innovative medical technologies, healthcare information systems, management consulting, and support services, to help customers achieve tangible, sustainable, clinical and financial outcomes.

Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories

Nomination Sub Category: Best New Product or Service

Nomination Title: World’s Most Advanced Computed Tomography System

   1. Tell the story about this nominated product or service (up to 500 words). Describe its functions, features, benefits, and sales results to date. You may include here hyperlinks to product photographs and data sheets. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, http://www.youraddress.com:

Demand for cardiovascular services in the U.S. is increasing, as approximately 80 million aging baby boomers will need cardiac care.  Heart disease is our country’s number one killer, claiming 2,600 Americans everyday – one every 34 seconds. 

These compelling facts led Siemens Medical Solutions to develop the SOMATOM® Definition™, the world’s first and only dual source computed tomography (DSCT) system.  Faster than every beating heart, it has 50 percent less radiation exposure than traditional CT scans for cardiac studies. The Definition launches a new era in medical imaging by introducing CT acquisition with two X-ray sources and two detectors, rather than the single X-ray source and detector configuration in current systems. DSCT technology enables clinical applications in oncology, neurology, cardiology and acute care.

Introduced in November, 2005, the SOMATOM Definition has four differentiators:

1. Improved Cardiac Image Acquisition.  The Definition can image cardiac patients who were previously unable to undergo CT exams, including those with high or irregular heart rates (including arrhythmia) and those with problems holding their breath, and can complete cardiac studies in seconds.  At 0.33 seconds per rotation, the system features the highest temporal resolution of 83 milliseconds, independent of heart rate, enabling acquisition of cardiac images without beta-blockers to slow the patient’s heart rate. It displays the finest anatomical details with previously unseen clarity, and its speed enables physicians to better identify and characterize plaque, an early indicator of heart disease.

2. Eases Concerns About Radiation Exposure.  Although the Definition uses two X-ray sources and twice the power, it offers the lowest possible radiation exposure in cardiac CT – as much as 50 percent less than single-source CT scanners. To further minimize dose, the fastest possible scan speed is automatically selected, depending on heart rate. The Definition utilizes adaptive electrocardiogram (ECG) pulsing, the most advanced ECG-controlled dose modulation technique, minimizing dose exposure during phases of rapid cardiac motion.

3. Accommodates All Patients Regardless of Body Size.  DSCT technology enables the examination of large patients in one single scan at full scan speed, with exceptional diagnostic image quality. The 31-inch (78-cm) bore opening and 79-inch (200-cm) scan range, larger than conventional CT, enables complete body scans of taller or obese patients. This is especially relevant for examinations that require a full body overview. 

4. Obtain Complete Anatomical Views.  DSCT technology establishes new fields of research and clinical applications, enabling the production of two different data sets containing diverse information about the anatomy in one single scan.  The Definition can isolate anatomy and obtain images of either bones or vessels from a single scan.  In addition, it can further characterize and distinguish tissue, including plaques for cardiovascular CT or tumors in diagnostic oncology.

The SOMATOM Definition received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2005.  It was installed at the University of Erlangen in Germany in October 2005, and will be available at Grosshadern Clinic in Munich, Germany; Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; Cleveland Clinic Foundation; and New York University Medical Center later this year.

http://www.medical.siemens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=-1&catTree=1000012C12781%2C12752&level=0&productId=168189

http://www.siemens.com/dualsource

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, product reviews, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, http://www.youraddress.com:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4545018.stm

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2006/nf20060131_9980_db039.htm?campaign_id=search 

http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/14/news/companies/siemens/index.htm

http://www.forbes.com/infoimaging/2005/11/17/cat-scanners-cardiac_cx_dal_1118CAT.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005580677,00.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/11/21/story7.html

http://www.asrt.org/content/News/IndustryNewsBriefs/CT/DualSource060130.aspx

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2005/11/somatom_definit.html

http://www.medinews.com/GMEDTS32olcgi/ts.cgi?tsurl=0.54.16932.0.0

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that developed the nominated product or service:

Dr. Erich R. Reinhardt became president and CEO of Siemens Medical Solutions in 1994, when the company was facing the closing of production facilities, layoffs and low morale. Reinhardt  quickly optimized the company’s strengths and focused on process-oriented organizational structures and trend-setting innovations. Today, the company occupies the number-one or number-two spot in more than 90 percent of its businesses and enjoys double-digit growth annually.