Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Anyone who knows anything about CT understands the major impact 64-slice scanners will have on clinical applications, particularly heart imaging. But the scope of that impact has yet to be determined.
This week's AuntMinnieTV segment explores a study that produced some interesting results in 64-slice scanning of the coronary arteries. Researchers from the University of Munich at the recent European Congress of Radiology discussed the technical aspects of heart scanning at high gantry-rotation speeds.
The group had two main goals. The first was to determine whether the faster 64-slice systems could reduce the need for beta blockers, which lower the patient's heart rate and thereby diminish motion artifacts. The second was to find the optimal point in the cardiac cycle in which to conduct image reconstruction.
Some findings were obvious, such as the reduced CT image quality seen with faster heartbeats. Surprisingly, however, the results also suggested that 64-slice scanning might require changes to long-standing cardiac imaging protocols.
Get all the details by clicking here. And for the rest of our AuntMinnieTV clips, from both the RSNA and ECR conferences, click on the links below or go to our AuntMinnieTV home page at tv.auntminnie.com.
