An 80-slice CT platform across three generations. Specifications, version differences, licensing traps, and what to check before you buy one used.
The Toshiba Aquilion PRIME is an 80-slice CT scanner launched by Toshiba Medical Systems in 2011 and carried forward under the Canon Medical Systems brand after Canon acquired the business. It sits in the community and regional hospital tier, and across its three generations it is the most actively traded Canon/Toshiba CT on the secondary market.
That volume is the reason it is worth understanding properly. A large installed base means strong parts availability and service organizations that know the platform, but it also means three visually similar generations trade under the same name at very different values. The sections below break down what actually separates them, and what to verify before money changes hands.
| Detector rows | 80 (all versions) |
| Slice thickness | 0.5mm |
| Rotation speed | 0.35–0.4 sec (varies by gen) |
| Generator output | 72 kW |
| Gantry aperture | 72 cm |
| kV range | 80–135 kV |
| AIDR 3D | Standard — all versions |
| Cardiac capable | Optional — all versions |
| Spectral imaging | SP only — SureSubtraction |
| AiCE AI recon | SP only — optional license |
The Aquilion PRIME is the most actively traded Canon/Toshiba CT on the secondary market across all three versions. Large installed base, strong parts availability, and a platform ISOs know extremely well make this the lowest-risk used Aquilion for most buyers.
The PRIME S is the current secondary market sweet spot: faster rotation than Gen 1, strong parts supply, and well-understood by service organizations. The SP commands a premium for its spectral capability but verify licenses carefully before purchase.
Canon and Toshiba CT parts are our core business. The PRIME shares a great deal of its parts catalogue with the wider Aquilion family, which is part of why it stays economical to run. A few CT tube assemblies from current inventory:
All three versions are 80-slice systems with 0.5mm minimum slice thickness, a 72 cm gantry aperture, and a 72 kW generator.
The original PRIME (2011 to 2013) runs a 0.4 second rotation with AIDR 3D standard. The PRIME S (2013 to 2017) adds a 0.35 second rotation and an enhanced cardiac package. The PRIME SP (2018 onward) keeps the 0.35 second rotation and adds SureSubtraction spectral imaging plus optional AiCE AI reconstruction.
The PRIME S is generally the sweet spot: faster rotation than the original, strong parts supply, and a platform service organizations know well. The SP commands a premium for spectral capability, so verify licenses carefully before purchase.
Yes. Canon acquired Toshiba Medical Systems, so the same Aquilion platform is branded Toshiba on earlier units and Canon on later ones. Parts and service nomenclature carry across both. See our Canon / Toshiba overview.