This month’s Radiological Protection Study Group was held on June 6, with the theme “The Potential of Dual Energy by CT: Concepts and Clinical Applications”. The presentation was led by Biomedical Pâmela Bertolazzi, Clinical and Scientific Manager in Computed Tomography for Latin America at Siemens Healthineers.

The specialist explained what the principle of dual energy, which is the difference in the behavior of materials according to the energy received – both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Siemens Healthineers launched, in 2006, the Dual Source, equipment with two tubes in which each one emits a different spectrum of energy. Starting from the second and third generations, a tin filter was added to the high energy tube to filter out low energy photons, which do not contribute to image quality. In addition, it has better radiation dose and spectral separation.

Spectral separation shows how likely it is to draw a certain material and behave in a similar way, regardless of the energy it receives.

Dual energy can be used in several clinical applications, such as differentiation of renal lithiasis, Liver VNC (map and virtual iodine removal, hepatic stenosis analysis), Monoenergetic Plus (for contrast enhancement and reduction of metallic artifacts), Direct Angio (for accurate bone removal), Hard Plaques (which shows the calcification of the vessels in a color map), among others.

Check out all the analyzes and conclusions made by Pâmela in the full presentation, soon to be available on YouTube of the São Paulo Society of Radiology.