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GE Healthcare Officially Launches Noah Mobile CT Solution Based on Two Major Scenarios: Epidemic Prevention and Control and Mobile Applications at the 2nd World Health Expo
This mobile CT solution centers on a vehicle-mounted, flexibly deployable CT imaging system. During public health emergencies, it can serve as a major epidemic prevention and treatment vehicle or as an independent mobile CT unit for fever clinics. In routine operations, it supports community health examinations, occupational disease screening, free medical consultations in rural areas, and tiered diagnosis and treatment, thereby facilitating the decentralization of medical resources.
Chen Jinlei, Vice President of GE Healthcare China and General Manager of the Imaging Business, stated that the Noah Mobile CT Solution enhances the capability of county-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) to detect outbreaks and manage on-site responses, thereby facilitating the decentralization of medical resources. The solution is equipped with essential infrastructure, including radiation shielding, ventilation, disinfection, power distribution, lighting, and temperature and humidity control. It also features a dual-channel design that completely separates patient and healthcare provider pathways. The 19-square-meter scanning room can accommodate any GE Healthcare CT system, catering to diverse diagnostic and treatment scenarios.
“Going forward, GE Healthcare will further integrate the strategy of combining peacetime and emergency preparedness in the research and development of imaging equipment related to epidemic response, such as CT scanners and X-ray machines, including the application of 5G and AI technologies,” Chen Jinlei said in an interview with media outlets, including Jiemian News.
Moreover, the integration of 5G and AI can further bridge regional disparities in healthcare standards and technologist expertise. During his presentation that day, Chen Jinlei noted that 5G technology currently enables technologists to operate equipment remotely, a capability whose value became particularly evident during the pandemic. “For instance, at the time, experienced technologists were in short supply at makeshift cabin hospitals, necessitating personnel transfers from various regions. Now, however, technologists can remotely operate the equipment, with all scanning parameters and patient positioning managed through technical means.”
As CT scans can detect early-stage lung lesions in patients infected with the novel coronavirus, various versions of diagnosis and treatment protocols and expert guidelines in China have recommended including lung CT examinations as one of the diagnostic criteria for COVID-19. In an interview with Jiemian News, Chen Zongxi, General Manager of the CT Product Division at GE Healthcare China, stated that since the outbreak of the pandemic, sales of CT scanners with fewer than 64 slices have been higher than in previous years. “The pandemic required high-volume patient scanning, and the demand for image quality was not as stringent as the needs of large hospitals for scientific research and specialized disease cases.” However, he noted that with the easing of the pandemic, demand for high-end CT systems has begun to recover.
“The market demand for CT scanners this year is very high. As everyone has seen during the pandemic, CT plays a valuable role in responding to the outbreak, enabling rapid scanning and effective diagnosis,” said Chen Zongxi.
On the other hand,As previously reported by Jiemian NewsOver the past year, GE Healthcare has expanded its production footprint in China and developed products better suited to the Chinese market. Its comprehensive portfolio, exemplified by the Versana ultrasound system and the DeepEye CT scanner, has progressively achieved end-to-end localization in China, encompassing research and development, manufacturing, and sales.
In an interview, Chen Jinlei stated that GE Healthcare’s most advanced CT product, the Revolution CT, had recently received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for sale in China.
In addition to introducing more high-end products and localizing production lines, Chen Jinlei stated that medical device companies have placed greater emphasis on supply chain management in the post-pandemic era. “Previously, we often centralized our production and supply in a single location, which allowed for better cost control from an economic perspective. However, after the impact of the pandemic, we found that this model lacked sufficient flexibility and risk resilience. Therefore, we have now proposed an East-West strategy for our supply chain,” Chen explained. He noted that while a particular device might have previously been manufactured at a single site, the company is now considering a dual-site layout, “producing both in the West and in the East.”
It stated that core components and high-volume parts in the future industry chain, such as X-ray tubes, would also be considered for domestic supply layout.