GE Healthcare has announced the United States of Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) 510(k) clearance of its Discovery IQ PET/CT (Positron emission tomography-computed tomography) system. Its outstanding image quality and intelligent quantitation help physicians deliver the best possible  outcomes to patients. This innovative new tool provides varied benefits to doctors across the cancer care continuum from diagnosis and staging to treatment planning and assessment.

Discovery IQ with Q Clear technology is designed to provide more accurate quantitation (SUV mean) with excellent image quality (SNR) for small lesion detection, fast, and efficient reading, and a confident diagnosis.

It delivers the highest NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) sensitivity (up to 22 cps/kBq) and the largest axial field-of-view (up to 26 cm) compared to other market leading PET/CT equipment.

"By 2020, it's estimated that 50 percent of people will develop cancer at some point in their lives and we also know that currently, approximately 70 percent of cancer patients do not respond to their initial chemotherapy treatment," said Mr Wei Shen, general manager of GE Healthcare PET/CT. He added, "I am excited about the recent FDA clearance of Discovery IQ, which will help physicians achieve their primary mission of delivering the best possible patient outcomes. And, by making Discovery IQ mobile-ready, we engineered it to be accessible to more patients in more places, allowing for high-performance PET/CT clinical care to whoever needs it."

GE Healthcare's new Q Clear technology is a critical component of Discovery IQ.