Dear Cardiac Imaging Insider,
Thanks to software and hardware improvements of every kind, cardiac CT is a more robust exam than it was a few years ago, and as a result, it can image a wider range of patients. One key area of innovation is in the temporal resolution required to visualize the small, fast-moving coronary arteries.
The results of improved temporal resolution can be seen in a new software technique that improves image quality by creating reconstructions from small samples of image data. In doing so, it achieves the temporal resolution benefits of slower gantry rotation speeds without sacrificing image quality. And it can help improve image quality even in midrange scanners. Find out more in today's Insider Exclusive.
Cardiac CT radiation doses, too, can be reduced dramatically with careful attention to technique, according to another recent presentation. In an Australian center, researchers wrestled radiation dose to the ground in more than 5,000 patients without automated exposure control, iterative reconstruction, or any other fancy techniques, in a story you'll find here.
Part of cutting dose, of course, lies in scanning the right patients. A multicenter research team used the American College of Cardiology's approach to the question of appropriateness guidelines by using an automated tool to improve exam ordering habits. By the end of the study period, inappropriate exams were few and far between.
In a PET/MR study, MRI-based motion correction made a big difference in lesion contrast, signal-to-noise ratio, and image quality, according to an article by AuntMinnie.com features editor Wayne Forrest that you'll find here. Motion correction also saved the day in a new 4D PET technique, according to an article by senior editor Erik L. Ridley.
Finally, there are new guidelines on cardiac catheterization. Click here for the highlights, and scroll through the links below for the rest of the news in cardiac imaging, right here in your Cardiac Imaging Digital Community.
