In recent years, St. Mary’s Hospital has acquired some of the most state-of-the-art medical equipment available. The hospital’s Imaging Department offers a full complement of procedures, including X-ray, mammography, angiography, bone densitometry, ultrasonography, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, digital mammography and PET/CT scans.  Below, find out more about the hospital’s latest imaging technology.   

CT Scanner
The GE Lightspeed VCT is one of the fastest and most effective CT scanners on the market.  This 64-slice CT can scan the entire body in just nine seconds and is specifically used for soft tissue and bone.  Since January, the machine has been used for more than 10,000 scans.

MRI
The MRI machine is used to see inside the body in a non-invasive way.  Unlike CT scans and X-rays, an MRI does not use radiation.  Rather, it uses radio frequencies to produce images of the body.  In addition, the hospital offers a breast coil for the machine, allowing for detailed examination of dense breasts or breast abnormalities. 

4-D Ultrasound
The GE 4-D Ultrasound unit, the LOGIQ-9, allows for real time imaging to help detect and rule out a wide range of potential medical problems.  The 4-D ultrasound also made headlines in recent years for its ability to show expectant parents live, moving images of their developing babies.  New parents even receive a printed photo of their baby (or babies) as a keepsake.

Digital Mammography
The GE Healthcare Senographe Digital Mammography system produces clear and precise all-digital images, rather than images on an X-ray film.  The digital image is ready to read within 10 seconds.  For patients, it will feel the same as a conventional mammogram – the difference is in the computer software.  Digital mammography takes an electronic image of the breast and stores it in a computer, allowing the recorded data to be enhanced, magnified or manipulated so radiologists can more easily see subtle variations between normal and abnormal areas.  This differs from conventional mammog¬raphy, which uses film to capture and display the image.

Mobile PET/CT Scanner
This combination PET/CT scanner is more accurate than PET or CT alone, making it a key diagnostic imaging tool for detecting a wide variety of diseases, including cancers.  St. Mary’s Hospital hosts the scanner on Mondays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
 
For more information about these technologies, please call (301) 475-6106 or visit www.smhwecare.com.