The three models presented by Toshiba are easy enough to understand for one learned in subkects such as radioactivity and biomedical instrumentation. However, these informercials have also been designed to be understood, at least at a very basic level, by an everyday layman and every doctor interested in purchasing one.
There are three models introduced: the Aquilion One, Aquilion Prime, and the Astelion. They all share some features (as they should, since they are CT machines) but do differ in a few specs:
Aquilion One:
- 640 slices of 0.5 nm scans: higher resolution, more detail.
- 275 ms rotation : less time spent under x-rays
- > 1 mSv dose for cardiac patients
- can perform miocardial perfusion tests
- 78 cm gantry
Aquilion Prime:
- 80-160 slices: useful for detecting larger objects, less overall dose.
- 60 fps
- 78 cm gantry
Astelion
- 16-32 slices
- "eco-friendly": less power consumption
- 75% less dose
- Reduced gantry noise
The Aquilion One model is Toshiba's top of the line model, and it comes packed with all the toys: high resolution, fast operating times, and Toshiba's proprietary AIDR3 technology; which calculates the lowest dose required for every patient. This is a huge plus since CT scans deposit a large quantity of dose as it is.
From here we move down to the Aquilion Prime. This model is advertised as the middle ground model and probably the one most commonly sold since it still provides a good amount of resolution and speed. At 160 slices, it falls very short of the One's 640 slice capability. However, the One is probably advertised to clinics with a lot of money or hospital emergency rooms where results are needed quickly and accurately. Prime still boasts the comfortable gantry space offered by One, but also has the advantage of depositing less radiation, due to the fewer slices it takes. Toshiba compensates this disadvantage by adding filters and processors that "offer the best quality for the lowest dose". Which is a fancy way of saying that even with less resolution, you will still get a good enough image. This model also comes with AIDR3
The Astelion servers as Toshiba's lower end model; capable of all the basic tasks, but at a lower quality. To compensate the quality, a lower price is included( I imagine) as well as many environmentally friendly features. It is only capable of 16-32 slices but consequently delivers 75% less dose. As a result of being more eco-friendly, it also provides a much quieter scan. This scanner is probably ideal for pediatrics, where minimal radioactivity is ideal, and a quieter process is less likely to frighten a child. As before, this model also includes AIDR3 technology.
