CT scan makers to install radiation controls

February 26, 2010|Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A medical imaging trade group said yesterday that manufacturers of CT scanners will begin installing safety controls to prevent patients from receiving excessive radiation.

The dosing checks, which will begin before the end of the year, will alert operators whenever the machine’s settings exceed recommended levels. Hospitals and clinics will also be able to set maximum dosing levels for their machines.

The announcement from the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance was made two weeks after the Food and Drug Administration said it would crack down on excessive radiation scanning.

The changes will be implemented by the five makers of CT scanners: General Electric Co., Siemens AG, Toshiba Corp., Philips, and Hitachi.

The group’s director said manufacturers had been working on the changes for months, though their unveiling occurred one day before a congressional hearing on the safety of imaging scanners.

Last year, three California hospitals reported hundreds of acute radiation overdoses from CT scanners, with many patients reporting hair loss and skin redness.

The average American’s total radiation exposure has nearly doubled in the past three decades, largely because of next-generation imaging tests, according to the FDA.

When the agency announced its initiative it also targeted other types of scanners, including nuclear imaging machines. The trade group said it is still working to implement changes with manufacturers of those machines.

The safety changes outlined by the industry will be made to older machines via software changes, though the effort will take time.

“It’s important to understand that this is a rolling initiative,’’ said Dave Fisher, executive director of the alliance. “It won’t happen overnight.’’