March 10, 2008 - The FDA gave Siemens 510(k) market clearance of four new software applications used with the SOMATOM Definition aimed at simplifying the diagnosis of diseases of the heart, brain, lungs and extremity joints, as announced at ECR 2008, currently being held in Vienna.
One of the new dual energy applications for the SOMATOM Definition, a dual-source computed tomography (CT) system, is syngo DE Heart PBV (Perfusion Blood Volume), which reportedly provides color-marking of non-perfused parts of the myocardium during cardiology examinations. Moreover, syngo DE Heart PBV is designed to enable the isolated display of the heart, for example, without thorax structures. The heart perfusion is examined primarily after an infarction to determine damaged areas of the organ. DECT is said to detect a stenosis and its degree, as well as the location and extent of the resulting reduced perfusion in the myocardium in a single scan.
Deposits of uric acid crystals in the joints of gout patients may damage the cartilaginous and osseous substance, particularly if the disease has been chronic for several years. With syngo DE Gout, CT can reportedly be used for gout detection. The new dual energy application is engineered to assist the physician in clearly identifying uric acid crystals in the extremities and monitoring changes in the crystals in the course of treatment.
With syngo DE Lung Vessels a series of applications are available to assist the physician in CT examinations of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. The new applications enable the detection of non-perfused blood vessels and tissue of the lungs through color-marking. The lung isolation application isolates the entire organ to allow the assessment of the perfusion situation without obstructing neighboring organs.
syngo DE Brain Hemorrhage assists in the distinction between new and old hemorrhages in the event of cerebral bleeding. The two energy levels of the X-ray tubes are used to fade out the contrast medium (CM). In the past, this had required two scans. The contrast medium subtraction offers two advantages: A non-contrast medium enhanced examination is not necessary, and the patient is spared the dose of a second scan.
The four new dual energy applications presented by Siemens at the ECR 2008 supplement the six existing CT applications with dual energy features:
- syngo DE Direct Angio for the distinction of bone and vessel structures, particularly if the vessels are located directly next to the bone
- syngo DE Lung PBV for perfusion assessment of the lung tissue
- syngo DE Musculoskeletal for the display of ligaments and tendons
- syngo DE Calculi Characterization for the automatic distinction of the biochemical composition of renal calculi (e.g., uric acid or calcium oxalate)
- syngo DE Hardplaque for the display of calcification in the body and determination of the vessel status
- syngo DE Virtual Unenhanced for the subtraction of contrast medium in abdominal scans
For more information: www.usa.siemens.com/medical
March 25, 2026 
