Cutting CCTA energy costs can improve environmental sustainability in cardiac imaging

In addition, she said health systems should begin thinking about the entire life cycle of CT systems, from raw material extraction, whether that is rare earth components for scintillators or the iodine for contrast, all the way to end of life. 

Hanneman said newer approaches are increasingly focused on moving from a linear model of using and disposing of equipment and supplies, toward a circular economy that emphasizes reuse, reduction and recycling.

One relatively straightforward opportunity is powering down scanners when they are not needed. Many CT systems are left in a ready-to-scan state overnight or during periods of low utilization because of concerns about the time required to restart them. But newer systems can return to a ready-to-scan state more quickly than older equipment, she said.

Energy savings from using lower-power modes can range from about one-third to as much as two-thirds, depending on the equipment and available power settings. The savings can translate directly into lower operating costs, as well as reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. She said some larger imaging departments can use as much energy as a small town, so buying systems with low-energy modes or just turning systems completely off during overnights or weekends can accumulate a large savings over time.

Another sustainability concern is iodinated contrast, which Hanneman described as a finite resource that also presents practical supply chain and cost challenges. Imaging providers can reduce iodine consumption through lower contrast protocols, signal-boosting technologies and AI-based image enhancement. Recycling programs can also recover iodine for other applications rather than allowing it to become waste.

Equipment life-cycle management is another opportunity. CT scanners can remain in service for many years, but health systems need better tracking of what happens when equipment is replaced, she explained. Simply donating older equipment does not necessarily improve access if the receiving facility lacks trained technologists or other resources needed to operate it.

Instead, equipment that can no longer be practically reused could potentially be recycled to recover valuable materials, including rare earth elements.

Hanneman said cost may be an important motivator for sustainability initiatives, particularly as health systems become increasingly cost-conscience. She pointed to the Energy Star program as a potential model for establishing benchmarks for medical imaging equipment. Standards initially developed for MRI could potentially be extended to CT, including targets for energy consumption in low-power states.

Ultimately, Hanneman said sustainability efforts should align environmental benefits with financial incentives. In some organizations, the people responsible for imaging operations may not control the electricity budget, creating a barrier to implementing power-saving measures.

Sharing some of the resulting savings with imaging programs could provide an incentive for departments to reduce energy use while reinvesting the savings in patient care and imaging services.