Tennessee Installs First Ambient Experience CT Suite from Philips

Philips Medical Systems announced today that Laughlin Memorial Hospital in Greeneville, TN has installed Tennessee’s first Ambient Experience suite featuring a 64-slice CT system and “4.0 Tesla combination”, two MR suites made up of a 3.0 Tesla whole-body and a 1.0 Tesla open system.

With the Ambient Express, patients can personalize lighting, projected images and other elements of the exam room.

“The difference between getting a CT exam in a traditional suite compared to the Ambient Experience suite is night and day,” said Burt Ridge, 49, a local patient who has had recent CT exams in both the Laughlin Memorial Ambient Experience suite and traditional CT suites. “Every time I need a CT exam, I have some anxiety about the procedure. I’m concerned about the state of my health, I’m in the room alone and the system itself is loud and startling. The Ambient Experience suite allows me to relax, the images help me think about something other than the exam, the time passes faster and my fears during the process are significantly reduced.  At this point, I am taking steps to ensure my next exam will take place in the Ambient Experience suite - it makes a difference.”