MANA Imaging Now Offers Low-Radiation CT Scans

MANA Imaging of Fayetteville is now equipped to administer low-radiation CT scans.

The office recently purchased a CT scanner that utilizes some of the latest dose-reduction technology available from Toshiba American Medical Systems of Tustin, Calif.

There is a risk of cell damage with radiation exposure, particularly for children because they are still growing, said Jerry Thomason, imaging director at MANA Imaging. “You can find horror stories all over the Internet of radiation overexposure.”

AIDR 3D, Toshiba’s third-generation iterative dose reconstruction software, achieves this through a sophisticated algorithm that reduces background noise in the image, according to a press release from Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas.

“It was the best thing ethically to invest in the machine for the safety of our patients,” said Paula Maxwell, chief operations officer of MANA. “When we found out the image quality was just as good with the new technology, it was a no-brainer.”

The new machine cost MANA Imaging about $250,000, after a trade-in deal on the old scanner, Thomason said. The clinic is hoping the purchase will bring in new patients.

MANA Imaging is unique because there are on-site radiologists, Maxwell said.

Also, CT scans taken at MANA Imaging can cost patients significantly less money than scans at some other offices, because MANA Imaging does not charge a facility fee, Thomason said. “We hope that, as patients become more educated and more active in [health] planning, they will price shop and see we offer savings.”

MANA Imaging is located within the Fayetteville Diagnostic Clinic at 3380 N. Futrall Drive.