Samsung Brings Photon Counting and AI to Mobile CT Scanners

Portable photon counting, an AI-powered ultrasound with a dozen tools, and an X-ray system that positions patients automatically: In Vienna, Samsung demonstrated that AI integration isn’t the exclusive domain of industry leaders—yet. But the technology highlight was hidden in the background.

Right at the entrance to Hall X5—on the direct path to the Healthineers booth—Samsung demonstrated that the South Korean conglomerate no longer has to fight for attention. X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scanners that are by no means technologically inferior; a confident presentation that did not shy away from comparison with the established market leaders. Only the mobile photon-counting CT—one of the technological highlights of the entire trade show—was barely featured in the booth design, appearing almost as an afterthought. A shame—because the device deserved more of a spotlight.

AI for Positioning

Even the upgraded GC85A Vision+ ceiling-mounted X-ray system has "AI" in its name: The integrated Vision Assist camera continuously monitors the patient, automatically guides the X-ray tube into the correct position, and provides the technologist with real-time feedback via Vision Live—from anywhere in the room. The S-Vue Imaging Engine reduces the radiation dose by up to 45 percent without compromising diagnostic image quality. Here, AI is not an add-on, but the mechanism that enables both automation and dose management simultaneously.

More than a dozen AI tools

In ultrasound, the new R20 clearly positions itself in the premium segment of radiological imaging—built on Samsung’s Crystal Architecture and a dedicated GPU that makes the AI suite possible. And this suite delivers remarkable results: LiverAssist detects suspicious lesions in real time during the examination; BreastAssist classifies breast lesions live according to BIRADS and automatically generates the findings report; Deep USFF quantifies liver fat content using AI—with a proven correlation to the MRI gold standard. Added to this are automated measurement functions across all organ systems. More than a dozen AI tools in a single system: This is not a feature catalog, but a clinical work platform.

Portability as the real argument for AI

The most strategically significant device remains the OmniTom Elite PCD—the world’s first FDA-certified mobile photon-counting CT, developed by NeuroLogica, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, now in its third generation. The detector converts X-ray photons directly into electrical signals, and AI handles the reconstruction of the spectral data directly on the device—without the cloud and without stationary infrastructure. What this enables goes beyond image quality: stroke diagnostics in the OR without interrupting ongoing operations, imaging of critically ill patients without transport, and quick scans in the emergency room without disrupting normal radiology operations. Spectral CT, previously tied to stationary infrastructure, is becoming portable—that is the real AI advantage.

The medical technology division of the Asian tech conglomerate is pursuing a clear strategy in Vienna: not to challenge the premium stationary segment, but to consistently fill the gaps—portable where others think stationary; compact where others build large. AI is not a core brand element here, as it is for Healthineers or Philips, but rather an enabler—clearly tailored to the clinical task in every single product. The real question is whether Samsung will have the courage in the future to place its strongest selling point—portable photon counting—at the center of its marketing.