New Cardiac Imaging

More than 2,500 Americans die from heart disease each day, making technology that can provide early diagnostic critical to medical care. In the last thirty years, a new form of radiology has blossomed that is incredibly non-invasive as well as visually unparalleled. The University of Pennsylvania is currently investing on the frontline of this technology, known as computed tomography scanners. 

Computed Tomography scanners, or CT scanners, first appeared in the 1970s. The basic principle is similar to an x-ray scanner. There is a source and detector, with the source sending x-rays through the patient to the detector. The x-rays passing through to the detector create a shadow, which creates an image. Unlike flat, black and white x-rays, CT scans are often in color with a 3 dimensional appearance.

“The real innovation with the CT is that you have a source and detector that are moving around the patient, shining x-rays on multiple different angles,” explains Dr. Sridhar Charagundla, a Cardiovascular Imaging Radiologist with the University Of Pennsylvania Hospital.

“Instead of creating a 2-D image you can create a 3-D image. “

Advantages

Within the last 10 years, the innovation has been multiple detector (or “slice”) CT scanning. Multiple detectors allows for more efficient x-ray distribution and collection.

“The dramatic improvement is speed,” notes Dr. Charagundla. “In the first generation of CT Scanners it would have taken an hour to do a study that study today takes 15 seconds.”

Faster studies are more resistant to problems, such as patient movement or instability.