Siemens offers online real-time monitoring service for molecular imaging systems

1 June 2010

Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Siemens Healthcare has created a 'Guardian Program' for a range of molecular imaging systems based on its PET-CT and SPECT-CT scanners.

The program monitors customer systems’ performance in real time and online. When critical parameters are detected the system automatically informs the Siemens Service Center. Additionally, Siemens has launched TubeGuard for the molecular imaging system Biograph mCT. TubeGuard is an option of the Guardian Program and can predict the majority of all potential CT tube failures.

Whether detecting cancer, heart or brain imaging, renal exams or bone scans, physicians must be able to rely on their PET-CT or SPECT-CT scanners. Any system downtime costs molecular
imaging (MI) customers significantly, as an expensive radiopharmaceutical dose must be ordered specifically for each patient in advance of the examination. To help assure the highest
availability of the scanners, Siemens has extended its Guardian Program to a variety of MI systems. Proactive online monitoring in real-time now is available for the MI system families Biograph mCT, Biograph TruePoint, Symbia S and Symbia T.

If parameters exceed or undershoot defined critical levels, the system will proactively send a message to the Siemens Service Centre. A predefined high-speed support and repair process is set into motion with clearly defined reaction and repair times as well as improved spare parts availability.

A service expert will guide the customer through the first critical phase and help re-establish the system’s availability as fast as possible. For Guardian customers this means high system reliability and availability, reduction of unscheduled downtimes, proactive rescheduling of patients and staff, and potentially less revenue loss because downtimes can be planned ahead of time.

As an additional offering, the Siemens Guardian Program including TubeGuard can now predict the majority of all potential CT tube failures within the Siemens MI system BiographmCT. More than ten sensors proactively monitor the tube functions via real-time data flow with Siemens Remote Service (SRS).Tube exchanges can be scheduled in advance and unplanned downtime can be avoided. The CT tube is absolutely vital to system availability and image quality. The tube can fail with no clear warning signs for the customer.