Radiation during CT scans can be reduced when using image-enhancing technology from Sweden-based SharpView, according to a report cited by the American Roentgen Ray Society.

The society pointed to recent studies from Massachusetts General Hospital, which demonstrated a relative dose reduction of up to 75 percent with preserved, or in some cases enhanced, image quality. The SharpView software is based on mathematical algorithms that filter out noise, therefore allowing for imaging with lower radiation.

“We found that these filters can help reduce CT radiation dose for kidney assessment by as much as 75 percent and by at least 50 percent in abdominal examinations,” said Mannudeep Kalra, MD, radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The software preserves sharpness, reduces noise, and most importantly, reduces CT radiation dosage. This is an effective algorithm that we have evaluated. We believe it is possible to decrease radiation dosage even further in the future.”

Sarabjeet Singh, MD, lead author and co-investigator for the study, will present the group’s findings at the annual ARRS Congress today in Boston.

SharpView’s software is being evaluated in hospitals around the globe, most recently by Unilabs, a pan-European diagnostics company, as well as Swedish hospital UMAS (Malmoe University Hospital).

“Lowering radiation exposure in CT is an important step in making medical imaging diagnosis safer for all patients,” said Magnus Aurell, CEO of SharpView. “Image quality and low dose are crucial needs in radiology that can now be reconciled in a safe and effective manner.”