Reliance Foundation Hospital Installs South Asia’s First Photon-Counting CT Scanner

It brings next-gen imaging with ultra-clear detail, lower dose & fewer artefacts for earlier diagnosis and less-invasive care.

Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai has become the first in India and South Asia to install the Naeotom Alpha Photon-Counting CT Scanner by Siemens Healthineers.

The hospital announced the installation through its official channels, calling it a major advancement in diagnostic imaging.

In a post on X, the Reliance Foundation mentioned, “It brings next-gen imaging with ultra-clear detail, lower dose & fewer artefacts for earlier diagnosis and less-invasive care.”

The Naeotom Alpha is the world’s first commercial photon-counting CT (PCCT) scanner, introducing a new class of detectors that fundamentally change how X-ray data is captured.

Unlike conventional CT systems that measure the total energy of X-ray photons, this technology counts and analyzes individual photons, capturing their energy information.

The result is sharper images, richer contrast, and more accurate tissue differentiation, all achieved with potentially lower radiation doses.

Equipped with QuantaMax photon-counting detectors, the scanner delivers ultra-high spatial resolution, achieving slice thicknesses as fine as 0.2 millimeters.

This makes it especially useful for detecting subtle anatomical changes in cardiac, neurological, and oncological cases, as well as in pediatric imaging, where radiation dose must be minimized.

Clinicians can visualize minute structures, such as coronary stents, micro-fractures, and lung nodules, with significantly less image noise and fewer metal artefacts.

The scanner’s dual-source architecture allows high-speed scans with temporal resolution down to 66 milliseconds, ideal for capturing fast-moving organs like the heart.

Globally, only a select number of hospitals operate the Naeotom Alpha, including leading medical centers in Europe, the United States, and Singapore.

The Mumbai installation places Reliance Foundation Hospital among the early adopters worldwide, and the first in the region to offer patients access to this level of imaging technology.

The hospital said the addition of the photon-counting CT will enhance its diagnostic, research, and training capabilities, enabling radiologists to develop advanced imaging protocols and collaborate on clinical studies focused on spectral imaging.

Approved by regulators in 2021, the Naeotom Alpha is widely regarded as a key leap in CT technology, often described as the “next era” of computed tomography.

Early international reports suggest improved lesion detection, enhanced soft-tissue characterization, and greater diagnostic confidence across multiple specialties.

The installation at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital gives Indian patients access to cutting-edge diagnostic accuracy without requiring them to travel overseas.

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