Future Technical Developments

Abstract

The current generation of fast multi-slice CT systems is able to provide robust and diagnostic image quality for many cardiac applications. However, cardiac imaging and especially the evaluation of CAD is still one of the most challenging new applications for multi-slice technology. The technical benchmarks of today’s (in 2001) “state-of-the-art” platforms are four-slice acquisition, 500-ms rotation time and down to 4 × 1-mm collimated slice-width for routine cardiac scanning. With scan protocols that are optimized for spatial resolution, temporal resolution and volume coverage at the same time, 100-mm heart volume can be acquired within ≈ 33 s breath-hold time. The data can be reconstructed with maximum 3D spatial resolution ≈ 0.6 × 0.6 × 1.0 mm (8–10 1p/cm in-plane spatial resolution, 1.25-mm slices reconstructed with ≥ 50% overlap) and a maximum temporal resolution up to 125 ms.