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Siemens Healthineers experts nominated for German Future Award with photon-counting CT
Experts from Siemens Healthineers have been nominated for the German Future Award for their development of the first photon-counting computed tomography scanner
Not for publication in the USA
- Prof. Thomas Flohr, Dr. Björn Kreisler, and Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer nominated for the Federal President’s Award for Technology and Innovation
- With their novel computed tomography concept and pioneering detector technology, the nominees usher in a new era in radiological diagnostics
- The photon-counting computed tomography scanner combines high image sharpness and contrast with extremely short image acquisition times, and it provides novel diagnostic information not seen on conventional CT images today
- Patients benefit from precise, noninvasive diagnosis in cardiology, oncology and pulmonology – for example in lung follow-up checks for COVID-19 – at significantly reduced radiation dose and lower doses of contrast media
Nominees
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: the team from Siemens Healthineers with Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr, Ph.D. and Björn Kreisler, Ph.D.](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/336f633e4fbc980b/0f5f1d38b624/v/5b1c7a7eb83c/dzp_2021_team1_gruppe_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3254_0.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr and Dr. Björn Kreisler from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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![ominated for the German Future Prize 2021: the team from Siemens Healthineers with Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr, Ph.D. and Björn Kreisler, Ph.D.](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/86511b6422f2f2fb/a0304d6fe4ca/v/63ebecb6fc0d/dzp_2021_team1_gruppe_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc4295.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr and Dr. Björn Kreisler from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Professor Thomas Flohr, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/901f82696757a3ab/38528df62205/v/2377828eba24/dzp_2021_team1_flohr_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc4396.png)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Professor Thomas Flohr from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Professor Thomas Flohr, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/a8c5eb3e0702aeed/4d28f47ffc38/v/3e3957921d4e/dzp_2021_team1_flohr_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3741.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Professor Thomas Flohr from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Björn Kreisler, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/fffb1173f1d13d87/d5b73bcd3af9/v/dc48a70239ea/dzp_2021_team1_kreisler_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3153.png)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Björn Kreisler from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Björn Kreisler, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/165b761c06cb6eec/3efe8c7f7e13/v/908f6dc7d47e/dzp_2021_team1_kreisler_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc4008.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Björn Kreisler from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Stefan Ulzheimer, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/b93015531ba17f48/8a47539c3374/v/bc24f6739e33/dzp_2021_team1_ulzheimer_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3108.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: Stefan Ulzheimer, Ph.D., from Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/7383f713dbc766f3/344d982f5dbc/v/845193b3e0e2/dzp_2021_team1_ulzheimer_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc4351.png)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Biography
![Nominated for the German Future Prize 2021: the team from Siemens Healthineers with Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr, Ph.D. and Björn Kreisler, Ph.D.](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/336f633e4fbc980b/0f5f1d38b624/v/5b1c7a7eb83c/dzp_2021_team1_gruppe_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3254_0.jpg)
Nominated for the German Future Award 2021: Dr. Stefan Ulzheimer, Professor Thomas Flohr and Dr. Björn Kreisler from Siemens Healthineers
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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Image Gallery
![lung-covid_lung-phonton-counting_lunge-functional](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/782d1f2b5a121c64/f8fae90f945a/v/236da6bbe21c/lung-covid_lung-phonton-counting_lunge-functional.jpg)
Lung images of a post-COVID patient with photon-counting CT
Photon-counting technology allows for simultaneous acquisition and visualization of detailed structures (center image) combined with functional information (image on the right). For comparison, an image acquired with conventional CT technology (on the left).
© Courtesy of Dr. J. Ferda, University Hospital Plzen, Czech Republic
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![inner-ear_inner-ear-phonton-counting](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/5893e5886f183bf5/b8c6a2acae46/v/6d5c4e724ba7/inner-ear_inner-ear-phonton-counting.jpg)
Improved visualization of the middle and inner ear enabled with photon-counting CT
Tiny anatomical structures of the middle and inner ear (upper row: stapes, lower row: cochlea): On the left, an image acquired with conventional CT technology; on the right, with a photon-counting CT.
© Courtesy of Dr. A. Persson, Linköping University, Schweden
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![The insides of a Siemens Healthineers computer tomograph](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/90a4fe54277b24cd/7bf94661ef23/v/8a81d577e7b9/dzp_2021_team1_still_forchheim_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3796.jpg)
The
insides of a Siemens Healthineers computer tomograph
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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![Close-up of sensorboards in the production mount](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/3bcfbdcf63dd5fda/57081b5bfb0c/v/07a65f9dcdb8/dzp_2021_team1_still_forchheim_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc4171.jpg)
Close-up
of sensorboards in the production mount
© Deutscher Zukunftspreis/Ansgar Pudenz
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![Ampoule sealing in crystal growth in the detector production of Siemens Healthineers](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/6c7d8a2d8a3725fa/447c77ba1bbf/v/28a1c66af43e/Small---72-DPI-CT_-Crystal_Center_DSC09341_IMAGE_21.jpg)
Ampoule sealing in crystal growth in the detector production of Siemens Healthineers
© Siemens Healthineers
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Background information
History of CT technology
1930s - Birth of X-ray tomography
In the early 1930s, the Siemens-Introskop rotates the radiation source and X-ray film around a part of the body for imaging. X-ray tomography was born.
![1930er_Introskop](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/c5cd58c35b0f1fef/c1da152b108a/v/0d3c5d6d18e0/1930er_Introskop.png)
1975 - First commercial CT in series
Godfrey Hounsfield and his team develop the first functional computer tomograph in the early 1970s. Shortly after, in 1972, Siemens starts developing their first CT, the “Siretom” for skull diagnostics with market introduction in 1975. Scanning a two-centimeter slice of the brain takes roughly nine minutes. Two years later, Siemens presents its first full-body CT “Somatom”.
![1975_SIRETOM](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/1292c318c0c0c712/ceefa0b6e6ec/v/ca72fe86b9af/1975_SIRETOM.png)
2005 - First dual-source CT
With the “Somatom Definition”, Siemens presents the world's first dual-source computer tomograph. The device has two X-ray tubes and two detectors, which enables clinical recordings to be made at a previously unknown speed.
![2005_Somatom_Definition_16-9](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/7f19455ae46accb7/8a5c6216878d/v/81dc2158c8d1/2005_Somatom_Definition_16-9.png)
2021 – Photon-counting CT
Conventional CT detectors are developed to their full potential, innovation steps are small. With photon-counting technology Siemens Healthineers makes a significant leap in innovation. For example, radiation or contrast media doses can be reduced by up to 40 percent.1
![The insides of a Siemens Healthineers computer tomograph](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/90a4fe54277b24cd/7bf94661ef23/v/8a81d577e7b9/dzp_2021_team1_still_forchheim_copyright_deutscher_zukunftspreis_ansgar_pudenz_300dpi_dsc3796.jpg)
![Ulrich Künzel](https://corporate.webassets.siemens-healthineers.com/1800000006212599/0482f531b31a/v/e9cdb5c10a69/Ulrich_Kuenzel_1800000006212599.jpg)
Ulrich Kuenzel
Financials and Corporate Affairs
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Leng S et al., “Dose-efficient ultrahigh-resolution scan mode using a photon counting detector computed tomography system”, J. Med. Imag. 3(4), 043504 (2016), doi: 10.1117/1.JMI.3.4.043504