November 25, 2018 — During the 104th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Nov. 25-30 in Chicago, Siemens Healthineers introduced the syngo Virtual Cockpit. Expert technicians can use this software solution to connect remotely to scanner workplaces to assist personnel at a different location, especially where more sophisticated examinations are required. The syngo Virtual Cockpit can be used with computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanners as well as with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PET/MRI systems from Siemens Healthineers. With the ability to deploy experienced technologists across multiple locations, healthcare providers can achieve a higher level of standardization that can lead to more accurate diagnoses.
Many healthcare markets suffer personnel shortages or bottlenecks for various reasons. For instance, not all hospital or practice locations will have the appropriate experts available for patients requiring complex scans. The syngo Virtual Cockpit can help support facilities with staff shortages and improve productivity.
For radiological examinations, experienced technicians can virtually connect with on-site personnel in real time via headsets, conference speakers, or chat and video functions. Experts can remain in their own location and provide guidance for those operating the scanner at other facilities, e.g. to adjust protocol parameters. Up to three scanners at different locations can be supported simultaneously in this way by one expert.
The syngo Virtual Cockpit also enables training of personnel. Operators on-site can learn how to perform complex examinations like cardiac MRIs while communicating virtually with an experienced technician.
“We expect the use of Syngo Virtual Cockpit to have a significant impact because we will save costs by not sending dedicated experts from one site to the other. We will also be able to better utilize our scanner fleet. Our patients will also benefit, because they no longer have to go to a dedicated site in our network to get a special examination,” stated PD Dr. med. Justus Roos, head of radiology and nuclear medicine, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), Switzerland.
syngo Virtual Cockpit is not commercially available yet in all countries. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed. Users must have an Expert-i enabled modality from Siemens Healthineers.
For more information: www.usa.healthcare.siemens.com
