Brilliance ict 256 scanner

Immediately after undergoing ultrasonography, all patients were examined using noncontrast helical computerized tomography (NCHCT) with a Philips Brilliance iCT 256 scanner (Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH). The CT value of each calculus was generated, as follows: Hounsfield units were measured for 3 different 0.02 cm² regions of interest on each calculus. The average of the 3 measurements was used as the final CT value for each specific calculus. The CT values of the calculi were classified into 4 grades: below 400 Hu was grade 1, between 400 and 800 Hu was grade 2, between 800 and 1200 Hu was grade 3, and over 1200 Hu was grade 4.

A previously described cohort of 400 patients undergoing whole-body trauma computed tomography scans was retrospectively included [15 (link)]. All CT scans were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Here, the presence of fractures, deformities, implants, and immature skeleton served as exclusion criteria. Patients were stratified for further analysis into four groups consisting of 100 scans (200 hips) each: (A) male under 60 years of age, (B) male over 59 years of age, (C) female under 60 years of age, and (D) female over 59 years of age. A detailed description of the cohort has been published previously [15 (link), 16 (link)].
Computed tomography scans were acquired using a Brilliance iCT 256 scanner (Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA) and a standardized trauma-scan protocol was used. Radiographic data was deposited in a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and analyzed using a PACS client (IMPAX EE; AGFA HealthCare GmbH, Bonn, Germany). Two independent observers performed radiologic measurements after a training-series of 10 cases. In 10% of all cases repeated measurements were performed by observer one and two 3 months after the first analysis, blinded to the previous results; intra- and interrater reliabilities were calculated.

All scans were acquired with a 256-slice CT scanner (Brilliance iCT 256 scanner, Philips Healthcare, Eindhoven, The Netherlands). A total of 100 mL of contrast agent was intravenously administered at 5 mL/s. Scan acquisition was performed during the arterial phase, using bolus triggering at a threshold of 150 Hounsfield units in the distal descending thoracic aorta during a single inspiration breath hold after performing a standard breathing exercise. Scan parameters were as follows: tube voltage, 100–120 kV; current time product, 157–1551 mA∙s; slice thickness, 0.9–1.5 mm; slice increment, 0.4–1.0 mm; rotation time, 0.27–0.33 s; collimation, 128 × 0.625; pitch factor of 0.18 or 0.30, reconstruction matrix 512 × 512 pixels (iDose).
By means of retrospective gating, 8 or 10 equally sized phases of the cardiac cycle were obtained from 0% to 87.5% (12.5% intervals) or 0% to 90% (10% intervals) of the RR interval, respectively. Previous investigation has shown that displacement quantification on ECG-gated CT scans of 8- and 10-phase reconstructions can be accurately compared with an accuracy of 0.05 mm and interobserver variability of median 0.00 mm (−0.03 to 0.03 mm, intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC 0.839 p < 0.01) and an intraobserver variability of median 0.00 mm (−0.02 to 0.02 mm, ICC 0.853 p < 0.01) [15 (link),24 (link),28 ].