Lynn, Mass. – At North Shore Medical Center (NSMC), revolutionary technology is pioneering the way physicians manage patient care. NSMC Union Hospital is the only hospital on the North Shore to offer the GE Infinia™ Hawkeye® 4, a revolutionary new system that collects both anatomical and biological information during a single exam.

The GE Hawkeye is a hybrid system which combines the functional information obtained from Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with the anatomical information provided by Multi Slice Computed Tomography (MSCT). The co-registering or “fusion” of SPECT and MSCT images allows physicians to visualize disease with more detail and precision than ever before.

“Physicians can see the human body at the molecular level, which can reduce the need for additional imaging and significantly improve management of complex disorders,” said NSMC radiologist Himanshu Gupta, M.D.

The Hawkeye also allows more comfort and faster scanning times for patients. “Depending on the procedure, the new system allows the patient to be in and out in about half the time. A Bone Scan with SPECT, for example, used to take 90 minutes, now it only takes about 45 minutes,” said Mary Simpson, the chief technician at NSMC Union Hospital.

Once a diagnostic study has been performed, NSMC has also made it easier to communicate results to physicians. Known as the Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS), this state of the art digital archiving and communication system gives radiologists and other physicians instant, online access to their patients' images. Physicians can access PACS images from any on-site or remote computer - even at home - saving valuable time.

“This new technology allows NSMC to continue a tradition of exceptional care in a convenient, patient-friendly way,” said Debra Torto-Discipio, director of radiology services at NSMC Union Hospital. “Patients can be confident knowing that, when they come here for any diagnostic testing, they are getting not only highly advanced technology but also an expert staff with a long history of commitment to the North Shore.”

Comprehensive imaging services at NSMC also include state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Multi Slice Computerized Tomography (MSCT), bone densitometry, and the longest experience with cutting edge digital mammography of any institution on the North Shore.