Siemens Launches New PET/CT Scanner at SNMMI 2023

Siemens Healthineers has debuted the Biograph Vision.X, a new PET/CT scanner that builds on the established performance of the Biograph Vision and delivers a time of flight (TOF) of 178 picoseconds (ps)—reportedly the industry’s fastest TOF, according to the company. The announcement was made at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).

The Optiso Ultra Dynamic Range (UDR) detector technology of the Biograph Vision.X is based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), which enables the use of small 3.2 mm x 3.2 mm lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystal elements to deliver higher spatial resolution than larger crystals. Leveraging these extremely small LSO crystals that are 100 percent covered by SiPMs, the scanner delivers high 48-mm³ volumetric resolution and its industry-best temporal resolution of 178 ps. For these reasons, the company says the Biograph Vision.X can deliver a 20% performance improvement that can lead to improved patient throughput as well as reduced patient radiation exposure and radiotracer cost.

“The Biograph Vision.X PET/CT scanner builds on the strong foundation of our Biograph Vision system and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to being the industry leader in time of flight for improved lesion detection and increased anatomical detail,” said James Williams, PhD, head of Siemens Healthiners Molecular Imaging. “This speed translates into true increased sensitivity for better imaging performance. This level of precision is more important than ever, as more physicians now use PET/CT imaging not only for diagnosis but throughout the patient care cycle—from diagnosis to therapy monitoring to post-therapy follow up. And such precision in PET/CT is invaluable in theranostics, where diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities are combined to help treat post-recurrent prostate cancer patients.”

The AIDAN intelligent imaging platform of the Biograph Vision.X leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to increase operational efficiency and create an accelerated patient workflow for a more precise diagnosis. AIDAN’s unique methodology is built on more than 700 machine- and deep-learning patents from Siemens Healthineers, which was the first company to bring AI-powered applications to PET/CT scanners.

The large 78-cm bore of the Biograph Vision.X can reduce patient anxiety and enable easier positioning for radiotherapy devices or bariatric patients. The scanner fits into any room that houses a PET/CT scanner from the Biograph Vision family. The Biograph Vision.X will be available as an in-field upgrade to current users of the Biograph Vision, allowing them to extend the performance of their current system.