Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The arrival of 64-slice CT scanners with powerful new cardiac imaging capabilities is raising questions about the future of electron beam CT. EBCT had been carving out an expanding role in cardiac scanning, but its position is now in jeopardy due to a new generation of more versatile CT systems.
Most of the current applications in cardiac CT were made possible by work first done on EBCT units. But EBCT's major advantage -- its rapid scanning speed relative to mechanical CT -- has been erased by 64-slice CT, according to a Technology Review by contributing editor Kate Madden Yee that we're featuring this week in our CT Digital Community.
That leaves EBCT as an expensive technology with limited applications. While EBCT proponents continue to laud its unique virtues, such as a lower radiation dose, attention is shifting to MDCT as the CT modality of the future for cardiac applications.
Read about the prospects for EBCT's future by clicking here, or visit the CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com for articles on this topic and others related to computed tomography.
