CT scanner : Better Diagnostic Pictures

This debate within the use of established as well as new technology occurs with every brand new generation of CT, stated Michael Vannier, M.Deb., FACR, professor of radiology as well as medicine at the College of Chicago Clinic.

“In an ideal world you've patients with reduced heart rates, they are able to hold their inhale and they don’t have plenty of disease,” he said. “With these types of conditions you can get excellent images with just regarding any CT scanner.”

Nevertheless, the realities are a handful of patients have arrhythmias, quick heart rates or even are obese, as well as pediatric patients squirm. He explained these conditions are more appropriate for high-slice systems, that operate faster and provide a larger imaging region. These were among the explanations why the University associated with Chicago Medical Center obtained a Philips 256-slice Brilliance iCT system.

“The 256-slice scanning device costs substantially a lot more than the 64-slice systems. I was skeptical at first, however it was apparent from the beginning the quality of the examinations was much better,” Vannier stated. “I don’t think any of the physicians would make use of a 64-slice system any more of these cardiac examinations. I was accustomed in the past to using some studies which were just uninterpretable. But today, which has largely gone aside.”

While the cost is higher, the image quality from the Toshiba Aquilion One 320-slice scanning device enables much better individual care through better diagnoses, said Erina Poon, M.D., FACC, teacher of medicine and radiology, overseer of advanced heart imaging, Stony Brook College Medical Center, Stony Brook, D.Y.

The 320-slice quantity scan offers Sixteen cm of image resolution area in one rotator. This allows an image from the entire heart throughout one phase instead of taking several images as well as stitching them with each other, as with 64-slice scanners. “That constitutes a big difference in heart perfusion imaging,” Poon said.

He was quoted saying that the 64-slice images have artifacts due to the several image stitching, exactly where parts of the heart or even vessels are out of alignment due to cardiac motion. Table movement throughout 64-slice imaging can also bring about artifacts. Poon explained Siemens plus some other manufacturers make use of a continuous table motion; GE scanners relocate stages during checking. The Aquilion One utilizes a stationary table checking approach because the image resolution volume is so big only one image is required.

“In 64-slice images, the top and also the bottom come from various times. But preferably, you want to have an picture of the heart from the exact same time,” Poon said. “That may be the main problem with heart CTA imaging. That’s why the actual 320-slice scanner opens up another era in heart imaging.”