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Key Visual Siemens Healthineers Quantum Technology showirng the face of a middle-aged women, next to the abstract visualization of a photon-counting detector with its precise pulses

NAEOTOM Alpha®
with Quantum Technology

CT redefined.

NAEOTOM Alpha with Quantum Technology is the first photon-counting CT in clinical use, awarded the iF Design Award 2022 and reddot award 2022.


NAEOTOM Alpha with Quantum Technology, the world's first photon-counting CT, is nothing less than the reinvention of computed tomography.

Based on the revolutionary direct signal conversion of its QuantaMax detector, NAEOTOM Alpha offers high-resolution images at minimal dose, spectral information in every scan, and improved contrast at lower noise.

Benefit from a range of clinical options and breakthrough consistency never seen before in conventional CT scanners – for potentially scanning previously excluded patients and confident clinical decision making.

 

Abstract cross-section of the QuantaMax detector: X-ray photons that are converted to an electrical charge by the crystal semi-conductor.

Welcome to the era of photon-counting

With photon-counting CT, we have developed a radically new technology for clinical routine. At its core is a new kind of detector that is substantially different from a standard energy-integrating detector.

These photon-counting detectors have the potential to overcome the limitations of current CT detectors, by providing CT data at high spatial resolution, without electronic noise, and with inherent spectral information.

 

Providing more answers to more patients

Hear from Prof. Dr. Hatem Alkadhi and Prof. Dr. Robert Manka from University Hospital Zürich how they can provide more answers to more patients with NAEOTOM Alpha by achieving the highest resolution in cardiac CT that they have experienced so far.

Better evaluation of small structures in neurological imaging

Hear from Prof. Aad van der Lugt, Dr. Robert Jan Pauw and Dr. Anke van der Eerden how they achieve superior image quality, improved noise and sharpness without changing the dose using NAEOTOM Alpha and its ultra-high resolution with 0.2mm slice thickness.

See fine details without compromises

NAEOTOM Alpha redefines how high resolution and inherent spectral information can be utilized for multiple myeloma patients to detect small osteolytic bone lesions and precisely assess their status. Discover how Prof. Konstantin Nikolaou and Prof. Claudia Lengerke benefit from a new level of detail for their clinical decisions, while keeping dose to a minimum.
Impressive details with NAEOTOM Alpha

High resolution at low dose

With a slice thickness of 0.4 mm and an in-plane resolution of 0.24 mm in standard scan protocols, NAEOTOM Alpha provides an impressive level of detail at full dose efficiency.

  • High resolution in all standard native protocols
  • High resolution in all standard CT angiography protocols
  • High level of detail for evaluating fine structures in all anatomical areas

Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL   

High resolution at standard dose

Ultra-high resolution at standard dose

With Quantum High Resolution scan mode, NAEOTOM Alpha delivers remarkable spatial resolution of 0.11 mm (in-plane) and a slice thickness of 0.2 mm.

  • Unmatched resolution both in-plane and cross-plane to evaluate fine lesions and anatomical structures (e.g., pulmonary nodules, cerebral vessels, osseous structures)

Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL  

high resolution in cardiac imaging

High resolution in cardiac imaging

Using conventional CT, the limit for high-resolution images in cardiac CT is 0.6 mm slice thickness (without using comb filters). With NAEOTOM Alpha, this limit is pushed to 0.4 mm while retaining a remarkable temporal resolution of 66 ms and maintaining full dose efficiency – revealing impressive details in coronary vessels.

  • See small details in coronary CTA
  • Identify more details in coronary plaque evaluation 

Clinical image courtesy of Centre Cardio-thoracique, Monaco, MC    

Changing patient pathways

Discover how NAEOTOM Alpha helps Prof. Dr. Hatem Alkadhi and Prof. Dr. Robert Manka from University Hospital Zürich to change patient pathways. Now they can confidently perform cardiac CT angiography even in patients with high calcium burden and send less patients to invasive procedure.

Expanding patient reach for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke

Up to 40% of the acute ischemic stroke cases are due to medium and small level occlusions and it is very challenging to visualize and detect those occlusions. Listen to Prof. Aad van der Lugt, Dr. Anke van der Eerden and Dr. Pieter Jan van Doormaal how they optimize the visibility of medium- and small-sized arteries in the brain with NAEOTOM Alpha, and potentially better diagnose occlusions.

Redefining CT in Cardiology

Watch what Prof. Joe Schoepf and Dr. Richard Bayer have to say about the range of patients that can be addressed with NAEOTOM Alpha.

Clinical image courtesy of Universitätsklinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, GER   

PURE Lumen

The artifacts resulting from calcifications in arteries can make the evaluation of the true lumen of a vessel impossible. PURE Lumen removes these calcifications based on the spectral information contained in every voxel of the image.

  • Evaluate even heavily calcified vessels
  • Create virtual non-calcium maps
  • Perform coronary CTA exams also in patients with high CaScore

Spectral information at the highest temporal resolution

Listen to Prof. Dr. Hatem Alkadhi and Prof. Dr. Robert Manka from University Hospital Zürich how NAEOTOM Alpha provides spectral information at the highest temporal resolution for the evaluation of myocardium in addition to the coronary vessels.

Provide meaningful answers to all oncological cases

Learn how Prof. Claudia Lengerke and Prof. Konstantin Nikolaou improve oncologic body imaging for different patient groups and without any compromise on scan speed, spatial resolution or spectral information. NAEOTOM Alpha provides all required CT information in one scan for a powerful tumor lesion depiction and detection of small lesions.

Providing non-invasive answers – clearly and accurately

Discover how Prof. Joe Schoepf and Dr. Richard Bayer benefit from getting more answers with each scan of NAEOTOM Alpha.

Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL 
Spectral post-processing applications subject to local availability.  

Spectral imaging at high spatial resolution

With NAEOTOM Alpha, spectral maps are available more detailed than ever before – down to a slice thickness of 0.4 mm. This enables functional evaluation with high precision.

  • Detect fine lesions in the liver
  • Evaluate spectral bone marrow edema
  • Evaluate lung perfusion defects based on detailed iodine maps

Precision and consistency by bringing spectral information into clinical routine

Learn how Prof. Claudia Lengerke and Prof. Konstantin Nikolaou bring spectral information into their routine workup for iron quantification to diagnose relevant complications in oncologic patients.

Diagnostic consistency in pulmonology throughout the whole patient journey

See how Prof. Martine Rémy-Jardin and Prof. Launay talk about the advantages of using NAEOTOM Alpha for exquisite delineation of lung fibrosis even in obese patients.
Monoenergetic images independent of scan parameters with NAEOTOM Alpha

Monoenergetic images as default image type

For every scan, NAEOTOM Alpha produces monoenergetic images that are independent of scan parameters. This allows radiologists to tailor exams to the needs of the patient without compromising on consistency and comparability.

  • Analyze, evaluate, and compare scans using the ideal monoenergetic images for the clinical question at hand

Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL   

Stable measurements with NAEOTOM Alpha

Stable Hounsfield values

Moving toward quantitative CT evaluation and radiomics, radiologists and referrers need to rely on the stability of their measurements. In contrast to conventional CT, photon-counting CT provides this stability.

  • Rely on quantitative and reproducible HU measurements, even in low-dose scans

Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL

myExam Companion – our new philosophy to operate modalities

myExam Companion

Using the new possibilities of digitalization, myExam Companion guides operators through diagnostic procedures, so that they can interact easily and naturally with both patient and technology.

GO technologies – for unparalleled flexibility and mobility in CT routines

GO technologies

Accessible via tablet or workstation, GO technologies are a set of technologies that standardize and simplify all departmental processes – from patient setup to image distribution, archiving, and reading.

AI-Rad Companion – our family of AI-powered, augmented workflow solutions

AI-Rad Companion

AI-powered algorithms provide automatic post-processing of imaging datasets. Identifying and quantifying relevant anatomies and abnormalities, they put findings into a diagnostic context – and allow for a fast and accurate diagnosis.

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Neurology

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Pulmonology

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Oncology

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Cardiology

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NAEOTOM Alpha in neurology

NAEOTOM Alpha in neurology: No more excuses in the way of relevant answers. CT in neurology CT is a field of many challenges: surgical implants, smallest structures, faint contrast and the need for functional information. NAEOTOM Alpha is able to overcome these challenges and provide answers that matter in acute and chronic neurology diseases.
Clinical image courtesy of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL 

NAEOTOM Alpha in neurology
Moving past morphology: NAEOTOM Alpha in pulmonology
Consistency all the way: NAEOTOM Alpha in oncology
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Pulmonology

NAEOTOM Alpha offers an easy and streamlined way to get quantitative information in addition to morphology. By matching the appropriate protocols to patients and by combining all necessary acquisitions into a single scan, NAEOTOM Alpha enables smart navigation through the diagnostic pathway.

NAEOTOM Alpha enables previously impracticable exams

Spectral high-res lung CTA

0.4 mm slice thickness
Cinematic VRT
100 keV monoenergetic recon

Impressive details with NAEOTOM Alpha

Spectral high-res lung CTA

0.4 mm slice thickness
100 keV monoenergetic recon
CTDIvol: 3.57 mGy

Oncology

The standard monoenergetic images provided by NAEOTOM Alpha allow radiologists to eliminate one source of imprecision. Comparability across several acquisitions allows users to confidently determine that changes between scans are a result of the therapy or the physiology of the lesion, and not driven by inconsistencies in imaging parameters.

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Spectral multiphasic liver

70 keV monoenergetic and iodine map
CTDIvol: 9.24 mGy

Cinematic VRT of spectral imaging of the liver with NAEOTOM Alpha
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Cardiology

By offering intrinsic spectral imaging independent of scan speed and of temporal or spatial resolution, NAEOTOM Alpha redefines which patient populations can be addressed with cardiac CT – even those with heavy calcification or stents. Bring spectral imaging to the coronary vessels and benefit from impressive details for small structures.

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Coronary CTA with PURE Lumen

66 ms temporal resolution
Full spectral information
65 keV monoenergetic

Cardiac imaging with NAEOTOM Alpha – coronary CTA from TAVI planning
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What our customers are saying about photon-counting CT


“With NAEOTOM Alpha, thanks to Quantum resolution, we now have ultra-high resolution in Cardiac CT, which may improve the visualization of early-state small plaques or restenosis.”

Photo of Joe Schoepf, MD

Joe Schoepf, MD

Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA 

First impressions: Photon-counting CT

Philipp Fischer, Head of CT at Siemens Healthineers, spoke with renowned radiologist Prof. Filippo Cademartiri, MD from Fondazione Monasterio/CNR – Heart Center, Pisa to discuss his experiences with photon-counting CT.

Prof. Cademartiri says that clinicians have been excited about this new technology even before it was ready for clinical routine use.

Hear more.

Pushing boundaries in patient care

Prof. Filippo Cademartiri, MD from Fondazione Monasterio/CNR – Heart Center, Pisa sees two main perspectives on how photon-counting CT can change patient care.

One is the radiologist's perspective and how confidently he can make a diagnosis when looking at a CT scan. The other is the perspective of the patient and the referring physician. They expect the highest level of accuracy and precision from the information provided.

Listen to the interview.

Technical Details

    X-ray tubes

    2 x Vectron X-ray tubes

    Detector

    2 x QuantaMax photon-counting CT detectors

    Number of acquired slices

    2 x 144 slices

    mA

    Up to 1300 mA

    Temporal resolution

    Down to 66 ms

    kV

    70, 90, 120, 140 kV
    Sn100, Sn140 kV

    z-coverage

    144 x 0.4 mm
    120 x 0.2 mm (UHR)

    Spatial resolution

    0.11 mm (in-plane) in UHR mode

    Power

    2 x 120 kW

    Table load

    Up to 307 kg

    Speed

    Up to 737 mm/s (with Turbo Flash)



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    The statements by Siemens Healthineers’ customers described herein are based on results that were achieved in the customer's unique setting. Because there is no "typical" hospital or laboratory and many variables exist (e.g., hospital size, samples mix, case mix, level of IT and/or automation adoption) there can be no guarantee that other customers will achieve the same results.