CHICAGO – GE Healthcare will invest an additional $300 million in low-dose technologies, the company announced Monday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The $300 million adds up to an $800 million of investment over 15 years, GE officials said.

GE Healthcare's innovative technologies redefine "low dose" with novel dose-reporting solutions, unique image reconstruction techniques, far-reaching Dose Check upgrades, free iPad apps and online courses, and a new informational website, which together help physicians provide patients with unparalleled dose-conscious care, GE Healthcare officials said.

The solutions, detailed on the new Responsible Imaging website, include these as described by GE Healthcare executives:

• DoseWatch, a novel multi-modality dose monitoring solution;
• Veo, a pioneering image reconstruction technology that has enabled CT imaging under 1 millisievert with profound clarity; dose-alert upgrades that go further across the installed base;
• free radiation safety iPad apps and low-dose webinars offering education and CE credits to healthcare professionals globally;
• Innova interventional imaging systems designed to maximize dose efficiency, reduce dose and simplify dose management; and
• low-dose ASiR technology, available across the GE Healthcare CT portfolio and used on over 1,000 systems for more than 10 million patient exams to date.

"Medical imaging has been indispensible in helping physicians diagnose disease and has positively affected millions of lives," said Tom Gentile, president and CEO of Healthcare Systems at GE Healthcare. "GE's commitment to patient care means equipping our customers with revolutionary tools that help them provide the highest level of care and diagnostic accuracy while striving for the lowest possible dose."

GE's new dose-tracking and reporting solution, DoseWatch, helps healthcare facilities analyze patient exposure levels over time, which in turn can impact the quality of care provided by physicians. Supplementing existing dose awareness technologies, DoseWatch doesn't discriminate – capturing standardized dose information on CT, interventional, mammography and X-ray systems from a range of equipment vendors. Also, in support of MITA's Dose Check initiative, Image Wisely and Image Gently, and the Joint Commission's recent communication on radiation dose, GE Healthcare is aggressively integrating dose alert technology on new and existing GE CT systems, Gentile said.