Siemens Healthineers has announced in a press release that it is showcasing its new mobile solution to support stroke diagnosis, designed to speed up time-critical therapy decisions and get patients the right treatment as quickly as possible, at the ongoing International Stroke Conference (ISC; 5–7 February, Los Angeles, USA).
At the heart of the innovation is the computed tomography (CT) scanner Somatom On.site, which can be integrated into an ambulance, and delivers high image quality that Siemens claims is comparable to stationary scanners and aids the reliable detection of ischaemia or bleeding. It also has a special telescopic gantry that allows easy positioning of the patient’s head in the scanner while they remain on the stretcher.
In addition, Siemens states that, using the digital solution Stroke Connect, hospital physicians can assess clinical patient data remotely—a telemedicine approach that allows clinical experts to evaluate the patient in advance, accelerating therapy decisions before the patient reaches the designated hospital.
In an effort to improve upon the current situation in stroke care and save critical time, mobile stroke units (MSUs) have been developed to allow prehospital diagnosis of suspected stroke patients. As detailed by Siemens’ recent release, statistics show that these MSUs can reduce the time to treatment by an average of 30 minutes compared to conventional stroke pathways and 65% more patients recover without any health issues.
However, the company further notes, some challenges remain—ranging from insufficient image quality to a lack of data exchange, and high operational costs related to the need for a neurologist on board the ambulance. Siemens has developed MSU solutions to overcome these challenges with a focus on image quality and connectivity.
“For stroke patients, timely treatment is of the essence,” said Philipp Fischer, head of Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthineers. “It can make the difference between a healthy life, and one lived with disability. With the help of Somatom On.site and Stroke Connect, we can effectively help to diagnose patients with suspected stroke early and get them the right treatment as soon as possible.”
“In collaboration with Siemens Healthineers, the Mannheim University Medical Centre is working on improving pre- and intrahospital workflows for acute stroke care, which includes implementation of a new mobile stroke unit,” added Johann Rink (Mannheim University Medical Centre, Mannheim, Germany). “Somatom On.site, a dedicated head CT scanner which is designed for use in an ambulance, will enable our care teams to make early treatment decisions at the point of care. Stroke Connect, a software solution, is aimed at collecting all relevant clinical patient data and brings our intrahospital expertise into ambulances via telemedicine.”
According to Siemens, Somatom On.site can be seamlessly integrated into ambulances and provides head CT images at the point of care for critically ill patients with the high-end quality usually produced by hospital scanners. An integrated head holder ensures that the patient’s head is fixed in the correct, isocentric position of the scanner. Motion artifacts usually caused by scanner movements can be reduced thanks to the fixed trolley and unique telescopic gantry of Somatom On.site, the company also claims.
Siemens’ release goes on to state that the Stroke Connect digital platform allows for end-to-end image transfer, thereby bridging pre- and in-hospital data silos. This enables hospital staff—such as radiologists and neurologists—to operate remotely via audio and video, and assess the severity of the stroke, optimising resources without compromising on care quality. Early diagnosis in the field allows patients to be directly triaged to specialised care, such as the angio suite for thrombectomy, the release adds.
“Improving stroke care means improving the lives of many,” commented Carsten Bertram, head of Advanced Therapies at Siemens Healthineers. “Our offerings for mobile stroke units underline our commitment to do exactly that. We truly believe that this way of delivering stroke care, right at the point of care, can make a massive difference in patient outcomes. This is another important step on the way to unlocking optimal stroke care.”
