U of A Hospital Gets Alberta's First Photon-Counting CT Scanner

The University of Alberta Hospital is adopting a next-generation imaging technology that produces clearer images at lower radiation doses. Alberta's first photon-counting CT (PCCT) scanner has been installed in the Suncor Energy Diagnostics Imaging Unit.

First introduced in 2021, PCCT scanners convert each photon—particles of light—produced by a scan into an electrical signal, allowing the device to count each photon and produce a clearer image. The technology generates higher-resolution images at faster speeds than conventional CT scanners, with 60 per cent lower radiation exposure. However, PCCT scanners cost three to five times more than conventional models.

The purchase was announced in October 2025 and completed in part with a $1.5-million investment from Suncor. "This is about fundamentally changing how patients experience care — from the anxiety of waiting to the confidence of getting answers quickly and accurately," said University Hospital Foundation president and CEO Dr. Jodi L. Abbott. "Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners like Suncor, we're able to bring transformative innovations like this to the University of Alberta Hospital, advancing earlier detection, improving the patient journey and helping care teams deliver the kind of precision medicine that defines the future of health care."

Suncor CFO Troy Little added: "By investing in this next-generation scanner, we are helping ensure patients and health-care teams have access to the tools they need for faster and more accurate diagnoses and improved care."