UCSF Radiology Installs Digital-Only PET/CT System

Continued improvements in PET/CT systems can lead to increased diagnostic accuracy and specificity, along with enhanced image quality, better treatment planning and more efficient workflows. At the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, we are excited to announce the installation of our first digital-only Philips Vereos PET/CT scanner—one of the latest innovations in imaging technology and the first of its kind in California.

The new equipment was installed at our China Basin location earlier this year. The build-out is an important resource to help meet increased demand. The upgrade in technology will improve workflow with shorter scan times. Moving from analog to digital will improve PET resolution while potentially lowering the radiation dose. 

“The equipment is up and running,” said Robert Gould, DSc, vice chair of radiology for technology and capital projects at UCSF. “The images from the first patient study look great.”

“I loved watching the process of installation,” says Erika Padilla-Morales, a nuclear medicine technologist at UCSF. “You see the solid-state detectors inside the device and appreciate a much more elegant design than older models.”

This upgrade is part of our continued drive to use leading-edge technology for improved accuracy and patient safety. Further expansion of our imaging facilities at China Basin are under consideration, including the addition of MR and PET/CT resources for both clinical and research use.