Newswise — HACKENSACK, N.J., November 5, 2020 — Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center is proud to announce the recent addition of the Siemens Symbia Intevo Bold™ camera to its Nuclear Medicine division. This SPECT/CT camera is one of the most advanced diagnostic imaging technologies available and allows clinicians to image parts of the body with extraordinary accuracy, while using a low dose of radiation. It is also the most cutting-edge nuclear medicine imaging technology in the Hackensack Meridian Health network.
Conventional computed tomography (CT) scanning utilizes x-rays and computer software to produce images of "slices" of parts of the body. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses gamma rays. The Siemens Symbia Intevo Bold™ system, which includes advanced radiation dose-reduction software, combines both technologies to generate the most accurate images possible.
"We are committed to applying the most advanced medical technologies to continually elevate the level of care we provide to our patients," explained Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, president and chief hospital executive, Hackensack University Medical Center and executive vice president of Population Health, Hackensack Meridian Health.
"Combining these two technologies enables our imaging experts to generate scans with stunning clarity, accuracy, and safety," added Ihor Sawczuk, MD, FACS, Hackensack Meridian Health regional president, Northern Market and chief research officer.
This advanced imaging technology will allow Hackensack University Medical Center to diagnose a wide range of diseases and disorders in the areas of cardiology, oncology, neurology, urology, and orthopedics. Most recently, clinicians performed a SPECT/CT scan on a patient receiving Lutathera® — a radioactive targeted therapy for neuroendocrine tumors in the digestive tract — at John Theurer Cancer Center, which provided vital information to better plan the patient’s treatments.
Symbia Intevo Bold also shines in the area of bone imaging. Coupled with the higher image resolution achieved from xSPECT Bone™ technology, physicians can better characterize musculoskeletal conditions. With the advent of metal artifact reduction software, iMAR, they can now also precisely image areas of the body near metallic implants or devices to a degree that was once not possible.
"This will prove to be a great benefit as patient populations continue to age and the number of patients with metal implants and pacemakers continues to increase," explained Sean Pierce, MD, chair of radiology for Hackensack University Medical Center.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Hackensack University Medical Center, a 771-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in New Jersey. Founded in 1888, it was the county’s first hospital. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet®-recognized hospital for nursing excellence, receiving its sixth consecutive designation in 2019 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The academic flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, Hackensack University Medical Center provides award-winning care on a campus that is home to facilities such as John Theurer Cancer Center, a consortium member of the NCI-designated Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and recognized as the #1 hospital for cancer care in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, designed in collaboration with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Recognized as being in the top 1% of hospitals in the nation and #2 in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report’s 2020-21 "Best Hospitals" Honor Roll, Hackensack University Medical Center also ranked as high-performing in nine specialties: cancer care, cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology, and urology. Hackensack University Medical Center’s comprehensive clinical research portfolio includes studies focused on precision medicine, translational medicine, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and vaccine development. The hospital has embarked on the largest healthcare expansion project ever approved by the state: Construction of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a 530,000-sq.-ft., nine-story building, which began in 2019. A $714.2 million endeavor, the pavilion is one the largest healthcare capital projects in New Jersey and will house 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms with intraoperative MRI capability, 50 ICU beds, and 150 private patient rooms, including a dedicated 50-bed Orthopedic Institute.
RSS