The scanners became available in June 2008 and feature a 78-cm gantry opening designed to accommodate larger patients. The systems include features to reduce dose while providing image resolution at the 0.24-mm level.
Definition AS+ is a single-source multislice scanner that offers adaptive scanning technology and comes in a 128-slice configuration. Definition AS comes in 40- and 64-detector-row models that are upgradable to 128 slices.
Also look for the company to tout Somatom Definition Dual Source, which uses the company's novel dual-source technology. The scanner sports a 78-cm gantry opening, up to 660 lb of table capacity, two 30-MHU tubes, a total of 160 kW power, and 83 msec temporal resolution.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
