GE HealthCare has officially unveiled several solutions that indicate greater focus on sustainability at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2024 Annual Meeting.
According to certain reports, these solutions included CT motion & MR Max 3™, which happens to be a syringeless power injector for the CT and MR radiology suite, compatible with multiple contrast container sizes and/or concentrations. The stated syringeless injector, on its part, is capable of enhancing workflow efficiency, while simultaneously lowering plastic waste consumption. Not just that, they can also enable contrast optimization through the efficient use of Imaging Bulk Packaging containers so to effectively reduce overall departmental cost by cutting down on contrast waste.
Next up, we have SIGNA™ Champion. In essence, this particular technology makes for GE HealthCare’s smallest footprint and most power efficient 1.5T wide bore system. It allows for you to achieve shorter scans times, reduce power demands, increase throughput, and enhance the overall patient experience. Thanks to its highly scalable platform, SIGNA Champion is able to support broader affordability, configurability, and upgradability for the purpose of supporting services expansion of health systems.
“With a deep appreciation for the importance of sustainability, at GE HealthCare, we are managing our environmental footprint by integrating sustainability into our business while also decreasing operational costs through energy efficiency and waste reduction,” said Roland Rott, president and CEO of Imaging at GE HealthCare. “More than one billion patients worldwide are touched by one of our products or care solutions annually – a responsibility we take very seriously as the actions we take now will impact our planet and global population for decades and centuries to come.”
Then, there is Vscan Air, an ultrasound system which is designed to be refurbished, reused, or recycled at the end of its product life to minimize unnecessary waste. More on the device would reveal how it is manufactured in GE HealthCare’s Zipf, Austria facility that uses 100% renewable electricity.
Joining the mix is Revolution™ Apex platform. The platform in question boasts Energy Saving Mode 2.0 that transitions the scanner into low power mode during extended periods of non-operation to help reduce power consumption by as much as 80% in unit kW. It can also achieve over a 30% reduction in daily energy consumption (in kWh).
Up next is GE HealthCare’s Revolution™ Ascend platform and Revolution™ Maxima. These CT systems arrive on the scene bearing an ability to reduce energy consumption by up to 15% and lower indirect carbon emissions by 68% when using energy savings mode.
Hold on, we still have a couple of bits of left to unpack. For instance, we still haven’t touched on AMX™ Navigate. Basically an x-ray system, this innovation can charge from 0% to 100% in 4.5 hours. In case that wasn’t impressive enough, it can also take up to 350 images over 4.6 hours without being plugged into a power outlet.
Rounding up highlights is GE HealthCare’s all-new Omni Legend PET/CT that can reduce energy consumption by up to 50% when using the standby power mode. On top of that, the replacement X-ray tube for the Revolution Maxima can recycle 47% of the mass of the X-ray tube, thus generating savings on energy and natural resources.
Beyond these technologies, GE HealthCare also announced a renewed commitment to sustainability by pioneering new breakthroughs to lead the green anesthesia movement. You see, gasses commonly used for anesthesia are recognized as greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming and can damage the Earth’s ozone layer. Now, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, one-quarter of a hospital’s operating room waste is from anesthesia.
In response, GE HealthCare’s End-tidal Control software automatically adjusts and maintains exhaled oxygen and exhaled anesthetic concentrations, enjoying more accuracy in reaching the clinician’s target, if pitted against manual control. In simple terms, by reducing anesthetic agent usage, End-tidal Control can go a long distance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and costs.
In fact, when put through a study, the showed potential 44% decline in the rate of greenhouse emissions.