MGM Healthcare Malar, Adyar, has introduced ultra-low-dose CT chest screening and low-dose CT coronary angiography, using deep-learning AI technology and quantitative imaging, to enable earlier and more precise detection of cancer and coronary artery disease.
The hospital said its ultra-low-dose chest CT program had been used on 260 patients, of whom 179 subsequently underwent biopsy based on imaging findings, and 54 cancers detected in the screened cohort. At a press meet on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), doctors said the approach substantially reduces radiation exposure while preserving the lung architecture needed for diagnosis.Â
Thinesh Ram, senior consultant radiologist, said invasive imaging through cardiac catheterisation remains a mainstay for assessing coronary artery disease, while non-invasive techniques such as multidetector CT (MDCT) offer a quicker and relatively affordable alternative. However, MDCT has limitations, including radiation exposure and the need for intravenous contrast.
The hospital has also performed 133 coronary CT examinations over a 10-day period using approximately 15 mL of contrast per examination, along with a low-radiation acquisition strategy. The approach is aimed at reducing both radiation and contrast exposure while maintaining the image quality required to assess the coronary arteries.
Samuel Reefath J., senior consultant and clinical lead, radiology, MGM Healthcare Malar, said the focus was on obtaining the information clinicians needed while minimising the burden on patients, including radiation, iodinated contrast, cost, and time.
A key component of the low-dose coronary CT and ultra-low-dose chest CT workflow is Delta, a deep-learning-based image reconstruction technology that enables diagnostically useful images to be reconstructed from scans acquired at substantially lower radiation doses and, in selected applications, lower volumes of contrast, said Dr. Reefath.
Published – September 22, 2026 03:36 pm IST
