A new medical technology is available to Copper Country patients with the latest addition to the
Aspirus Keweenaw hospital equipment.
The nuclear medicine department has a new scanner, manufactured by GE Healthcare, called the Infinia Hawkeye system. It provides higher quality images than before, helping doctors to make quicker and more accurate diagnoses of heart disease and cancer.
"It provides sharp, high-quality images that help our doctors make confident diagnoses. It's a big step forward in diagnostic certainty and patient comfort," says Gregg Fisher, nuclear medicine manager at Aspirus Keweenaw.
The new scanner provides more information about the nature and precise location of disease in a single exam where multiple scans might have been needed before, as well as being quicker and more comfortable for patients.
"This is the latest advancement in hybrid scanners, which combine nuclear imaging with computed tomography," says Fisher. "A typical exam takes as little as 10 minutes."
Aspirus physicians will mostly be using the scanner to diagnose heart disease, and to identify and locate cancers. The new equipment is the first in the Copper Country.
Before each scan, the patient is injected with an easily tracked substance that travels through the bloodstream, helping doctors locate areas that are not receiving enough blood. At the same time, imaging is done of the patient's body to detect tumors.
Writer: Sam EgglestonSource: Gregg Fisher, Aspirus Keweenaw
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