Imaging (see more articles like this)

GE Medical Systems announced that it has installed its 55th Discovery LS PET/CT system at Florida Hospital, marking a significant milestone for this new technology.  In only six months, the clinical value of the images produced by Discovery LS has fostered rapid adoption of PET/CT imaging in medical communities around the world.

The GE Discovery LS combines two advanced technologies to produce medical images that are proven to improve the overall course of treatment for patients in one out of three cases.1   In a single exam that typically takes  approximately 30 minutes, Discovery LS applies positron emission tomography, or PET, to pinpoint increased metabolic activity (as with a tumor), and computed tomography, or CT, to define the anatomical reference of the activity.

“The fusion of both functional and anatomical information from a single exam on Discovery LS helps  radiologists detect diseases earlier and diagnose them more precisely,” said Radiologist, Dr. Anton Serafini, M.D.  “With a disease like Cancer, for example, these images show us the size and location of a tumor, which enables us to prescribe the most effective treatment path for the patient.  We believe that this information will help  the clinicians save lives.”

According to Dow Wilson, General Manager of Functional Imaging at GE, the Discovery LS system’s capability has created a demand that exceeded the company’s early expectations for its PET/CT technology.  “For years, GE has produced the world’s most advanced PET and CT systems, so the union of these technologies to create Discovery LS was a natural fit for us.  Like MR technology in the 80s, healthcare providers have embraced this technology because it significantly improves their diagnostic confidence.  We couldn’t be more pleased that doctors today are using images from 55 Discovery LS systems to improve the quality of care they provide to their patients.”

About Florida Hospital

With seven hospitals and 13 Centra Care walk-in medical centers, Florida Hospital is one of the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country. This year, hospital staff members will care for almost one million people in our community. Florida Hospital provides a wide range of health services for the entire family, including many nationally and internationally recognized programs in cardiology, cancer, women's medicine, neurology, diabetes and rehabilitation. In addition to serving Central Florida residents, Florida Hospital serves as a major tertiary referral hospital throughout the Southeastern United States, the Caribbean and South America.

About GE Medical Systems

GE Medical Systems is an $8 billion global leader in medical imaging, interventional procedures, healthcare services, and information technology. Its offerings include networking and productivity tools, clinical information systems, patient monitoring systems, surgery and vascular imaging, conventional and digital X-ray, computed tomography, electron beam tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound and bone mineral densitometry, positron emission tomography, nuclear medicine, and a comprehensive portfolio of clinical and business services. For more than 100 years, health care providers worldwide have relied on GE Medical Systems for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. For more information about GE Medical Systems, visit our Web site at www.gemedical.com.
 
# # #
1 European Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Volume X, No. X, Month, 2002.