We are fully committed to supporting our partners in the healthcare system to provide the best possible care for patients.
Are you looking for COVID-19 related information? Please check out our dedicated content sections:
Amplifying the viral RNA , real-time PCR testing specifically identifies the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The robust, highly sensitive molecular test increases the window of detection of an acute infection.2 The FTD SARS-CoV-2 Assay3 uses real-time PCR to detect viral RNA from respiratory samples. The assay has a dual-target design that probes two highly conserved regions on the SARS-CoV-2 genome. It is a robust assay designed for high sensitivity, specificity and inclusivity. It uses the same assay setup protocol and thermal-cycling profile as all FTD respiratory disease kits from Siemens Healthineers.
Fast, accurate detection and monitoring of health issues and comorbidities that may arise as part of COVID-19 disease are critical. Our comprehensive portfolio of systems and extensive menu in immunoassay, chemistry, hematology, hemostasis, molecular, and urinalysis, in conjunction with automation, informatics, and services, can help support the essential role of laboratory diagnostics.
Manage COVID-19 patients in triage locations
The compact, integrated chemistry and immunoassay testing system Dimension® EXL 200 provides a simple user interface to rapidly mobilize testing with quick turnaround times for certain critical tests – also in pop-up labs and triage locations. A disposable, sealed cuvette design may help reduce contact with potentially infectious sample mixtures and aerosols.
While it’s not unusual for infections to raise the risk of clotting, COVID-19 is associated with an unprecedented range of clotting-related disorders in COVID-19 patients. Coagulation testing plays an important role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of coagulation abnormalities in these patients. Siemens Healthineers is supporting labs to best perform coagulation testing. Our efforts include increased production of vital coagulation assays, and compiled knowledge on current coagulation testing and monitoring recommendations.
The RAPIDPoint® 500e Blood Gas System and epoc® Blood Analysis System are essential analyzers supporting COVID-19 response efforts, where blood gas testing plays a critical role in managing infected patients and monitoring their respiratory distress. The analyzers integrate seamlessly into hospital networks with the Point of Care Ecosystem™, which offers remote management of operators and devices.
Urinalysis testing enables clinicians to monitor patients’ renal function, which can be impacted by COVID-19. The presence of protein would prompt additional testing, as various types of proteins can indicate different disease states or conditions. Urinalysis reagent strips screen for albumin and calculate an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). ACR normalizes urine concentration to more accurately detect adverse traces of albumin in urine, which can indicate potential kidney damage. Siemens Healthineers offers customized solutions for a wide range of care settings, including urinalysis reagent strips.
Simplified SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing with CTK Biotech4
The OnSite COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test is intended for qualitative detection and differentiation of IgG and IgM antibodies in human serum, plasma or whole blood within 15 minutes. This test is easy-to-use, with basic equipment needs – finger prick specimen for example allows testing at point of care, saving crucial time.
It is one of the top-performing antibody tests available for SARS-CoV-2 at the point of care.5
Antibody testing helps manage the COVID-19 pandemic
Rapid and accurate antibody testing on a large scale is vital to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 Total Assay6 detects both IgM and longer-lasting IgG antibodies with high sensitivity for recent and prior infection and can be used effectively for broad population testing.
The SARS-CoV-2 IgG AntibodyTest7, has been proven to quantitatively measure the amount of neutralizing antibodies to determine the magnitude of an immune response after infection. Reliable antibody tests are also a valuable tool to measure immune response following vaccination.
High resolution chest CT images help assess the severity of the lung involvement in COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe symptoms. This includes evaluation of the progression and remission of the disease.*8 Scanners of the SOMATOM go. platform provide high resolution lung imaging and are recommended for fast delivery requests in areas where COVID-19 is prevalent. The innovative mobile CT workflow of SOMATOM go. platform scanners permits technologists to maintain a distance of at least 1.5 m (5 ft) from potentially infected patients. These scanners can also be installed in temporary units to provide access in high-demand or in isolated areas. Furthermore, many of our CT simulators usually being used for radiation treatment planning, can be used to support the diagnosis of COVID-19 based pneumonia.
Radiography supports initial assessment of severity and monitoring of disease progression. Chest radiographs can show characteristic signs of viral acquired pneumonia. MULTIX Impact C and MULTIX Impact9 stand for high-end technology and user-assisting system intelligence with myExam Companion – at an economical price. The family of flexible, modular radiography systems covers a wide range of clinical requirements. The floor-mounted MULTIX Impact can also be installed in stationary indoor and outdoor container solutions to provide access in high-demand or in isolated areas. To further support this, MULTIX Impact systems come with a remote and online training concept.10
Mobile radiography systems help with the monitoring of disease progression in particularly severe cases. The devices can be driven directly to patients in the intensive care unit, for example, eliminating the need for patients to be transported through the hospital. MOBILETT Elara Max offers improved hygienic conditions thanks to antimicrobial coating, fully integrated cables, and smooth and closed surfaces.
Current literature suggests chest radiography as a staging or triaging option in COVID-19 patients.6 Mobile C-arms are not specifically designed for COVID-19 diagnosis. Cios Alpha and Cios Spin can provide high-quality chest digital radiography (DR) images7 when portable X-ray is not available. Cios mobile C-arms can be positioned flexibly according to the imaging needs in standing, sitting or lying patients. The systems offer antimicrobial coating, smooth and closed surfaces and approved cleaning and draping protocols for infection control.
Ultrasound provides a fast, simple and portable clinical imaging solution when scanning for Coronavirus. Ultrasound machines used today for COVID-19 include the ACUSON P500™, designed to support clinicians with ultrasound applications that include lung, cardiac and FAST exams, as well as interventional procedures at the bedside.
Recent studies in China and Italy8,9,10 have indicated that myocardial injury is common among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. Cardiovascular MRI (CMR) can be useful in supporting physicians detect and monitor cardiac injury (e.g. myocarditis) as a possible complication of COVID-19, according to the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). To support CMR we offer SCMR Recommended Protocols, clinically optimized exam protocols for 1.5 and 3T MAGNETOM systems, for download. To help perform comprehensive CMR exams, we also offer a free, 90 days trial license for our standardization and automation technology Cardiac Dot Engine.11
Adapting to changes to typical lab testing volumes and established lab workflows
Healthcare providers need to quickly and efficiently diagnose and treat the many clinical complications that often accompany a COVID-19 diagnosis. This can result in significant deviations to typical lab testing volumes and disruptions to established lab workflows. Siemens Healthineers provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary workflow solution to optimize testing of COVID-19 patients. Atellica® Diagnostics IT helps labs identify and drive optimized workflows with robust solutions that enhance visibility, automate processes, and centralize management across instruments, automation, sites, and networks.
Modern CT Simulators provide the same high resolution diagnostic capabilities as CT scanners in radiology. They have access to lung imaging protocols allowing the entire lung to be covered in less than 10 seconds. Innovations like the tablet-based mobile workflow allows technologists to maintain a safe distance from potentially infected patients.12 Automating routine workflows such as contouring of Organs At Risk with syngo.via based AI AutoContouring helps save time in radiation therapy departments, which can help extend capacity for CT imaging.
Modern hybrid molecular imaging systems can be used as standalone Computed Tomography (CT) systems to perform a full range of CT applications, including high resolution lung imaging protocols. Biograph™ PET/CT and Symbia™ SPECT/CT systems can be used as standalone Computed Tomography systems.13 Based on your individual strategy to separate COVID-19 patients from other patients and staff, these scanners can and perform high resolution chest CT imaging to aid in assessing the severity of the lung involvement in COVID-19 patients, or serve as back-up for non-COVID-19 patient backlog.
Remote operations may help reduce staff exposure to infectious patients and may allow employees, who are under quarantine, to continue working. syngo Virtual Cockpit enables remote scanning assistance to imaging personnel – regardless of their geographic location. Assistance can even be provided from home with a simple laptop.14 With syngo Virtual Cockpit, your best technologists can assist on up to three exams at once, distributing their skills and experience across sites in real time.
syngo Virtual Cockpit Lite offers remote scanning assistance from any networked computer within your facility, and enables access to one scanner at a time using syngo Expert-i.
As the demand for diagnosis of COVID-19 cases increases, healthcare providers are challenged to secure or even ramp up capacity of expert radiologists, despite potential staff shortages from quarantine or sick leave. Simple, flexible, and scalable access to expert radiologists can help to master increasing case volume or to overcome staff shortage in radiology departments. BEFUND24 provides access to expert radiologists, who provide written, digitally documented, expert-validated medical reports, reliably at high quality. It also manages data transfer as well as administrative and financial processes.
Supporting radiologists in COVID-19 evaluation by applying Artificial Intelligence to images
AI-powered analysis of chest images has the potential to alleviate the workload of radiologists by supporting them to diagnose diseases, assess their severity and monitor their progression. To aid radiologists in the interpretation of medical images, the AI-Rad Companion Chest CT19 also automatically identifies and quantifies hyperdense areas of the lung using non-contrast enhanced chest CT’s. The opacity score helps to assess the percentage of affected lung tissue. High opacity abnormalities were shown to correlate with lungs of COVID-19 patients. The AI-Rad Companion Chest X-ray20 automatically characterizes radiographic findings, including atelectasis and consolidations, which may be signs of of COVID-19 induced pneumonia.
Keeping patients with no or mild symptoms out of doctor’s offices, emergency clinics or hospitals is essential, particularly during times of peak demand. Home quarantine and self-monitoring can be an option for health authorities; yet it is crucial that these patients continue to receive supervision. The remote care management solution for COVID-19 remotely connects patients – for example those in quarantine – with physicians. It promptly informs physicians of the progress of potential COVID-19 symptoms, making it possible to monitor these symptoms and take appropriate action. This may help free up inpatient capacity for COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms.17
Digital collaboration capabilities can enable staff to support clinical personnel in high-demand areas remotely and may allow employees who are under quarantine to continue to assist in reading images. Participation of expert radiologists located in different time zones can allow shared images to be reviewed efficiently. teamplay Images is a secure, cloud-based image sharing service for DICOM files.18 It provides access to imaging studies quickly and easily from desktop computers or tablets and enables secured sharing and discussion of relevant cases beyond the institution. teamplay Images is easily deployed through teamplay digital health platform.
Social distancing and the prevention of unnecessary exposure to potentially infectious patients are the most effective measures to protect medical staff, especially at times when demand is high. New, digital ways of augmenting communication and collaboration reduce the need for personal interaction. Join can help health systems to create new ways of working, aiming to protect staff and increase employee availability beyond physical locations. Join19 enables medical professionals to collaborate from anywhere at any time via chat, audio, video calls, and sharing of documents and medical images. Join is easily deployed through teamplay digital health platform.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 cases, combined with the absence of employees because of quarantine or sick leave, presents significant risk and challenges to healthcare providers who must secure and even ramp up capacity. We offer workforce solutions that provide highly skilled radiographers, trained and supported by Siemens Healthineers. FlexForce Tech20 is a service where we address workforce challenges with flexible contract terms. Workforce Responders, who are Applications Specialists from Siemens Healthineers, are additional workforce members who can assume the roles of technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting equipment performance remotely
Real-time 24/7 system monitoring, proactive, remote and digital services such as our Guardian Program, teamplay Fleet or Smart Remote Services can increase the required uptime. When no access to a facility is possible, Siemens Healthineers Smart Remote Services (SRS) experts can use advanced troubleshooting tools to remotely restore operations.25 Our application support assists with real-time access to application experts and our teamplay Fleet online portal enables 24/7 performance and maintenance management of critical equipment.
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, appropriate know-how on equipment applications, imaging protocols, and examination workflows is as crucial as clinical expertise. PEPconnect is designed for healthcare professionals and customized to their roles and learning behavior to increase their competency, efficiency, and productivity. Siemens Healthineers provides resources on best use of its imaging and lab diagnostic products, and general information on COVID-19 on PEPconnect.
PEPconnections’26 features allow healthcare staff managers the ability to assign, track and manage group education, create learning pathways specific to the facility’s process descriptions with records and the reporting of all learning activities in a single location. A 90 day no cost PEPconnections subscription is available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to assist in keeping healthcare staff trained.
Value Partnerships to redesign and transform care delivery
Value Partnerships are enduring, performance-oriented relationships. They help create financial sustainability through innovative business models and seize available options to create future-oriented care sites and reestablish the health system as a safe place for care delivery. They provide detailed plans for systemic digital transformation – such as plans for using telehealth and remote monitoring capabilities along with home care – and redesign care sites and rethink clinical service delivery along integrated and optimized pathways.
The COVID-19 pandemic shapes a situation, in which the ability to respond rapidly is crucial. In some cases, healthcare providers may not have the necessary capacity and means to quickly plan and activate processes required to address the current public health emergency. Rapid Activation Management Consulting Services enable healthcare providers to address the immediate needs to manage increased demand, patient workflows, support financial repositioning, and set up new facilities or repurpose existing ones.
Most COVID-19 centers are confronted with an immediate need to increase system capacity. To support in these cases, Enterprise Services from Siemens Healthineers offers simple and standardized solutions to optimize room preparation and planning for CT and X-ray imaging. We offer guidance and complete planning regarding radiation protection for imaging rooms aimed at being suitable for COVID-19 centers, e.g. modular building, implementation in exhibition area or similar approaches.
Container solutions for CT and X-ray imaging
Siemens Healthineers offers specific solutions for deployment in temporary COVID-19 diagnostic and therapeutic setups in high-demand or in isolated areas. These container solutions can be provided together with CT scanners or X-ray systems. Container solutions and other similar deployments with a SOMATOM go CT scanner have already proven themselves in numerous countries, including Austria, Germany, China, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
As your organization serves your community, ECG Management Consultants – A Siemens Healthineers Company – can offer support. We are providing accurate and actionable intelligence on COVID-19 preparedness and response as quickly as possible. Every day, our experts in healthcare strategy, finance, operations, and technology are sharing strategic and tactical, real-world approaches on how to help mitigate the effects of this crisis.
Product availability varies by country and is subject to local regulatory requirements.
Due to high demand, availability in certain regions may be affected, please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for details.
Under review by the U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Product availability may vary from country to country and is subject to varying regulatory requirements.
Cheng et al. Ann Intern Med. doi:10.7326/M20-1301
CE-IVD labelled for diagnostic use in the EU. This test has not been FDA cleared or approved. This test has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. This test has been authorized only for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. This test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21. U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner.
Siemens Healthineers is a distributor of CTK Biotech. Product availability may vary from country to country and is subject to varying regulatory requirements. Under review by the U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and all settings presented may not be authorized.
Report 2: Evaluation of 17 rapid tests for detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Abildsnes, E. et al NOKLUS https://www.noklus.no/media/4k3hjwdh/report_2_covid19_rapidtests_noklus_2020.pdf, June 29, 2020.
This test has not been FDA cleared or approved. This test has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. This test has been authorized only for detecting the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. This test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. Product availability may vary by country and is subject to varying regulatory requirements.
Not available for sale in the U.S. Product availability may vary from country to country and is subject to varying regulatory requirements.
Fang et al., Sensitivity of Chest CT for COVID-19: Comparison to RT-PCR, Radiology 2020
MULTIX Impact family is not yet commercially available in all countries. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for further details.
Prerequisite for remote application support is an existing connection to our SRS infrastructure and an existing service contract including this service offering.
Pan et al. Intensive Care Med 2020;46:573-575; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-020-05964-0
Gildea et al. J Bronchol Intervent Pulmonol 2020;27:153-155; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32209919
Shi S, Qin M, Shen B, et al. Association of Cardiac Injury With Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Cardiol. Published online March 25, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.0950
Guo T, Fan Y, Chen M, et al. Cardiovascular Implications of Fatal Outcomes of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA Cardiol. Published online March 27, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1017
Inciardi RM, Lupi L, Zaccone G, et al. Cardiac Involvement in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA Cardiol. Published online March 27, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1096
Mobile workflow is available on the SOMATOM go. Platform.
Symbia T and Intevo Excel are not indicated for use as a Standalone CT.
A secure VPN connection to the department network is required. Other appropriately trained personnel must be in the room to care for patient, position the patient, and manually start the scan.
The feature "Pulmonary Density" is new in AI-Rad Companion (Pulmonary) VA12 without FDA-Clearance. According to FDA policy "Enforcement Policy for Imaging Systems During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency" issued in April 2020, the manufacturer is allowed to market this clinical feature without FDA-clearance. This policy is intended to remain in effect only for the duration of the public health emergency related to COVID-19 declared by the HHS, including renewals made by the HHS Secretary in accordance with section 319(a)(2) of Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 24/d(a)(2)).
AI-Rad Companion Chest X-ray is currently not for sales in the United States and other selected countries.
Remote Care Management solution for COVID-19 is not part of teamplay myCare Companion. This solution is developed, sold and distributed by Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) in cooperation with telbiomed Medizintechnik and IT Service GmbH. For further information please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization.
The DICOM viewer is not intended for diagnostic display. Due to regulations data exchange between data center regions is restricted. The products/features/service offerings are not commercially available in all countries. If the services are not marketed in countries due to regulatory or other reasons, the service offering cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens organization for further details.
Siemens Healthineers is neither the provider nor reseller nor legal manufacturer of the 3rd party applications in Siemens Healthineers Store. Any claims made for 3rd party applications and all warranty obligations are the sole responsibility of the legal manufacturer and not Siemens Healthineers. Additionally, the 3rd party applications mentioned may not be commercially available in all countries.
Service only available in USA and Germany (German name: MTRA on Demand), this is released for all in-vivo modalities, not for in-vitro.
Precondition: the equipment needs to be connected to Smart Remote Services (SRS).
Subscription required. Availability of subscription depends on country.
