One of the main goals of diagnostic radiology is to acquire high-quality images with a low dose of radiation, as high-quality images enable radiologists to make meaningful diagnoses, and low doses of radiation keep patients safe.

But what exactly defines a “low-dose CT scan”? Is it 10 mGy, 12 mSv, or 1 rad? Or 300 mGy-cm? What is considered a concerning amount of radiation? Understanding radiation dosage can be complicated, even for radiologists.¹

As low as reasonably achievable, or ALARA, is a goal in radiation safety. PixelShine^® offers a technically feasible way to reduce radiation exposure within economic constraints—making it a must-have for providers seeking to achieve ALARA.

Healthcare experts like technologists, nurses and physicians aim to deliver patient-centric, safe medical care, including imaging. Luckily, there are also patient safety groups like the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) who are here to improve the health care system and help Americans, health care professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions.

Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT scans is  recommended  for identifying early-stage cancer. American College of Radiology (ACR) guidelines specify that the CTDIvol for lung cancer screening in average-sized patients (170 cm, 70 kg, BMI of 24.1 kg/m2) should be ≤3 mGy, while National Comprehensive Cancer Care Network (NCCN) guidelines suggest an effective dose of ≤3 mSv for patients with BMI ≤30 kg/m2 and ≤5 mSv for patients with BMI >30 kg/m2. Even when following these guidelines, the cumulative effects of repeated radiation exposure may cause irreversible damage, especially for high-risk patients. Studies have found that patient size and orientation, CT scan protocols, and image reconstruction parameters can all affect patient dose exposure. While Iterative Reconstruction (IR) is commonly used to assist in lowering dose, high strength -application of IR does introduce image characteristics which compromise quality. New AI-powered image processing tools such as PixelShine^® can consistently provide good quality CT scans.This can be achieved without sacrificing diagnostic image quality – creating a breakthrough for lung screening programs.

Pediatric radiology teams strive to do everything possible to minimize dose exposure to children during a CT exam. However, even when deploying the latest scanner technologies in combination with dose-optimized protocols there is a limit to the level that dose can be reduced before the images become too noisy. This becomes particularly challenging with very small children, pediatric cancer patients and children with high Body Mass Index (BMI). PixelShine is a new image processing tool that uses Deep Learning methods to significantly reduce CT image noise, 

What if you could improve the quality and efficiency of your existing CTs without incurring the high cost associated with purchasing a new scanner? Using Deep Learning Reconstruction (DLR) technology PixelShine can automatically enhance and harmonize the image quality of studies acquired by any CT scanner at the lowest possible dose –extending the life of older scanners and deferring costly and disruptive replacement projects. This is an exceptional opportunity as Covid-19 impacts the traditional revenue stream of any hospital.