Medical imaging at SCP Radiology’s Panorama branch now includes cone beam CT, a modality that will expand the services available to ear, nose and throat specialists, maxillofacial and orthopaedic surgeons and their patients.

The practice has just acquired the NewTom 7G, an innovative leap in cone beam CT technology. It combines traditional CBCT applications for low-dose, detailed imaging of the head and neck while stretching the boundaries into full body CBCT applications.

“We are thrilled to take delivery of the NewTom scanner which incorporates latest-generation cone beam technology and adds to the comprehensive radiology services available at our main branch,” says SCP radiologist and partner Dr Hofmeyr Viljoen.

“The higher resolution volumetric images produced with cone beam technology are ideal for imaging the microstructures of the middle and inner ear. Additionally, NewTom is among the world’s most advanced developers of CBCT which now also enables us to apply the technology to other body regions such as the spine, shoulders, hips, small bones and joints.

“A notable advantage of cone beam CT is its ability to yield intricate images at doses significantly lower than conventional CT scans. As a practice which regularly images young children, we are delighted with the substantial benefit this holds for our paediatric patients and referrers.”

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Imaging capabilities of the NewTom 7G

Dr Viljoen says the NewTom 7G, with its unparalleled 90-micrometer spatial resolution, excels particularly in paranasal sinus, temporal bone and maxillofacial imaging, providing superior quality and resolution over conventional helical CT.

For temporal bone and maxillofacial imaging, the scanner offers exceptional diagnostic insights, including preoperative planning and postoperative assessment of cochlear and dental implants.

Imaging procedures that are possible with the NewTom 7G include among others:

OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY (EAR, NOSE AND THROAT)

• Imaging of the temporal bones (middle and inner ear), including cochlear implant planning and assessment
• Post-operative evaluation of cochlear implants
• Imaging of the sinuses

MAXILLOFACIAL

• Detailed imaging of the teeth and jaws
• Pre-operative planning and post-operative evaluation of dental implants
• Temporomandibular joints

ORTHOPAEDICS (MUSCULOSKELETAL)

• Cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine
• Shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist
• Hip, knee, ankle and foot
• Arthrograms

Other features of importance to clinicians and their patients include:

• Field of view and X-ray doses are adapted to patient build, especially while imaging children.
• A gantry aperture of 77cm, allowing for improved positioning, field of view and patient comfort during body imaging.
• Features such as a tilt-adjustable head rest to optimise positioning and limit movement artefacts.
• The patient table has a maximum total load capacity of 215kg.

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More about cone beam CT

Cone beam CT differs from “conventional” CT in the shape of the X-ray beam that it emits. This conical beam, as opposed to the “flat” fan-shaped beam emitted by other CT scanners, captures a volumetric image in fewer rotations, enabling more detailed views of smaller areas of interest, requiring less radiation in the process.

Even though this technology was first developed and rapidly embraced in the dental and maxillofacial disciplines, it has gained traction in recent years in medical imaging.

The first commercial CBCT system (the NewTom 9000) was introduced in the European market in 1996. Numerous iterations and advancements later (and venturing into medical radiology in 2010), NewTom still counts among the world’s leading developers of cone beam technology. The NewTom 7G is punted as the most advanced CBCT device on the market with the ability to image from micro-structures of the ear to hairline fractures in complex joints.

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A comparison of fan beam CT and cone beam CT. Creative Commons image source:

Additional sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5750833/
https://books.google.co.za/books?id=9RR0AwAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA112&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://www.newtom.it/en/dentale/company/