Short report n. 4 - Portable computed tomography (CT) for the study of diagnostic imaging in specialised areas or setting

CereTom is a portable device mounted on wheels (2 operators are required to push the manual version, only one for the electric tractor, joystick-driven version) enabling 8 slice, spiral CT scanning. Solid state detectors and a fixed-anode, X-ray tube are present on the equipment. Its weight equals to 360 kg, its size is of 153 cm (H) x 133 cm (L) x 73 cm (W). The minimum thickness during acquisition is 1.25 cm, acquisition time (NECT)
is 25 cm in 6 seconds. The equipment is capable of performing 3D and flowmetric reconstructions (Angio-, perfusion-, Xenon-CT).

An estimate of the annual number of patients for whom the use of the device in the Emilia-Romagna Region could be hypothesised requires an ad hoc clinical audit. However, to determine a rough estimate, the number of patients (75) that have undergone neurosurgery in 2008 in Emilia-Romagna
and remained in intensive care for more than 2 days (a), was added to the number of patients (273) with a trauma of medium/high severity and treated in intensive care units for more than 2 days (b). The estimate of potentially eligible subjects resulted to be around 350.

Short Report n. 4 (CereTom NL 3000), Agenzia sanitaria e sociale regionale - Regione Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, gennaio 2010.