April 27, 2009 – Siemens Healthcare said today that Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, was the first medical facility in the U.S. to install its SOMATOM Definition Flash dual-source computed tomography (CT) scanner.
The SOMATOM Definition Flash requires only a fraction of the radiation dose that systems previously required to scan even the tiniest anatomical details, according to the company. The fastest scanning speed in CT (i.e., 43 cm/s) and a temporal resolution of 75 ms enable complete scans of the entire chest region in just 0.6 seconds. Thus, clinicians now have the option of not requiring their patients to hold their breath during the exam.
”Interdisciplinary teamwork at Mayo, combined with industry collaborations like this, continues to support our hallmark mission of extraordinary patient care at Mayo. This second generation dual-source CT scanner offers new applications that can benefit our patients while minimizing risks,” said J.G. Fletcher, M.D., Mayo Clinic. “Reduced radiation dose and scanning speed provide new opportunities for routine use of dual energy CT. This technique helps to highlight pathologies, giving Mayo an additional tool in patient diagnosis and treatment.”
The SOMATOM Definition Flash operates at an reduced radiation dose. For example, a spiral heart scan can be performed with less than 1 millisievert (mSv), whereas the average effective dose required for this purpose usually ranges from 8 mSv to 20 mSv. In comparison: The amount of radiation the average person is exposed to each year from naturally occurring sources is about 3 mSv.
For more information: www.usa.siemens.com/healthcare
March 31, 2026 
