St. Luke's Medical Center President and CEO Jose F.G. Ledesma and Royal Philips worldwide President and CEO Gerard Kleisterlee led the unveiling of a new Philips Brilliance iCT scanner yesterday, March 19, 2009. The new machine represents a significant upgrade to the diagnostic facilities at St. Luke's, which is already of the best-equipped hospital in the country. This is the only device of its kind to reach the country, and just the second in the Southeast Asian region.

The 256-slice CT scanner allows doctors to capture incredibly detailed three-dimensional images of a living patient's internal organs, bones and blood vessels at a very fast acquisition rate. Since the scanner's X-ray emitting gantry rotates faster than conventional scanners, patient's exposure to radiation is reduced by up to 80 percent.

Mr. Ledesma said, The new scanner should provide physicians key insights in a wide range of medical applications. The machine presents outstanding opportunities for cardiologists, as the 256-slice scanner can capture a three-dimensional image of the entire heart in just two beats. Because scans can be timed to take place between cardiac contractions, generated images are free from any motion blur.

Oncologists stand to benefit greatly from the facility as well as advanced imaging technology allows the detailed tracking of changes to a tumor over time, helping doctors direct treatment in the most effective way possible.
In Pediatrics, children can be administered with lower doses of anesthesia because the scan time will be quicker.

In Pulmonary medicine, the 256-slice CT scanner can clearly show lesions found in the lung that may not be detected by other scanners.

In Neurology, the 256-slice CT scanner allows doctors to view the vessels with superior definition and unsurpassed detail.

St. Luke's Medical Center's acquisition of the 256-Slice CT Scanner paves the way for faster, more accurate diagnosis that leads to more effective treatment and appropriate care.