The New 64 Slice CT- Technology That Is As Complex & Fast As The Human Heart
The next generation of CT scanners has
arrived! Non-invasive imaging technologies continue to
revolutionize medicine and have an impressive impact in the field of
cardiovascular medicine. Perhaps the most critical advancement in
cardiac diagnostics is the development of the multi-detector CT.
Advances in CT technology have led to the creation of the 64-slice
CT. The 64-slice scanners have a gantry rotation of 0.4 seconds
or less; they push the limit and reduce the window of data collection
to 0.5 seconds, which enables imaging of rapidly moving organs
such as heart and lungs, often in as little as five seconds and do so
with very high resolution. A CT scan of the entire heart can now be
completed in a matter of only seconds. Such unparalleled speed
translates to a shorter exam time and will counteract motion artifacts
from patients breathing and allow gating of all chest studies.
This is particular helpful for the elderly, the frail or patients with
severe pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure who are unable to
hold their breath for a long period of time.
CTA is useful for risk stratification for asymptomatic patients at high risk for both coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. Image acquisition in the 64-slice CT scanner is substantially faster, which allows radiologists to acquire thinner slices. This is the modality which allows it to outperform its predecessors. The thinner slice produces a higher resolution image. This, in turn, allows specialists to view the entire coronary tree with extremely high definition and detail, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis. While the size of the average proximal coronary artery about 4mm, and the diameter of the distal arteries around 2mm or less, a slice thickness of 0.5mm may make all the difference in finding disease and blood flow in the smaller distal vessels. Unlike its predecessors, the 64-slice CT can distinguish between the more troublesome soft plaque that builds up in coronary arteries and the harder, calcified plaque that is less likely to cause a heart attack. As well, the imaging software on the 64-slice CT allows more options for image manipulation permitting specialists to view the images from multiple angles revealing three-dimensional pictures that can be frozen at a given moment in the heart's movement, as well as rotated and enlarged for better viewing.
Many other conditions and diseases can be accurately diagnosed with this advanced technology, such as an aortic dissection, lung and other tumors, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia.
CTA is useful for risk stratification for asymptomatic patients at high risk for both coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease. Image acquisition in the 64-slice CT scanner is substantially faster, which allows radiologists to acquire thinner slices. This is the modality which allows it to outperform its predecessors. The thinner slice produces a higher resolution image. This, in turn, allows specialists to view the entire coronary tree with extremely high definition and detail, thus increasing the accuracy of diagnosis. While the size of the average proximal coronary artery about 4mm, and the diameter of the distal arteries around 2mm or less, a slice thickness of 0.5mm may make all the difference in finding disease and blood flow in the smaller distal vessels. Unlike its predecessors, the 64-slice CT can distinguish between the more troublesome soft plaque that builds up in coronary arteries and the harder, calcified plaque that is less likely to cause a heart attack. As well, the imaging software on the 64-slice CT allows more options for image manipulation permitting specialists to view the images from multiple angles revealing three-dimensional pictures that can be frozen at a given moment in the heart's movement, as well as rotated and enlarged for better viewing.
Many other conditions and diseases can be accurately diagnosed with this advanced technology, such as an aortic dissection, lung and other tumors, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia.