Heart caught between beats
3 February 2006
In less time than it takes a heart to beat, the world's fastest CT scanner captures images of our bodies in breathtaking detail. What's more, it uses only half the usual X-ray dose.
Image: University of Erlangen
The next generation of medical imaging technology is here. Meet the latest computed tomography (CT) scanner that's snapping pin-sharp pictures in record-breaking time.
The new kit uses X-rays, just like traditional CT scanners. But it has two X-ray sources and detectors, instead of one, boosting its power and pace.
Image: Siemens
A beating heart usually means blurry images. But this speedy scanner takes shots between beats, revealing crisp, clean images of our insides. |
For patients with troublesome tickers, the scanner could prove a real help...
'To get a clear image with ordinary CT, heart patients take drugs to slow their heart down. With this new scanner they don't have to. And because it takes better pictures, it's easier for doctors to spot their patient's problem.'
Axel Kuettner, doctor and CT expert, University of Erlangen, Germany
Axel Kuettner, doctor and CT expert, University of Erlangen, Germany
Axel Kuettner, doctor and CT expert, University of Erlangen, Germany
Speed isn't this scanner's only plus point. It also fires fewer X-rays per patient, making disease diagnosis safer than ever. |
What do doctors think of the new CT technology?
'It's another important step forward in the evolution of computed tomography. The results are impressive.'
Adrian Dixon, CT expert, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge
Adrian Dixon, CT expert, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge
Image: Siemens
Today's top-spec CT scanners are a valuable part of a doctor's diagnostic toolkit, helping to investigate patients' symptoms without the surgeon's scalpel. |
But why are they built like giant doughnuts? Their funny shape is a clue to how they work.
Inside the most advanced scanners, not one but two X-ray tubes sit opposite two X-ray detectors. As the scan gets going, these spiral around the patient, who slowly slides past them on a motorised bed.
How does a CT scanner paint your picture?
The X-ray tubes send beams through the patient's body to detectors on the other side. A picture appears because not all the rays get there: dense tissues such as bone stop X-rays in their tracks, while softer tissues like lungs or blood vessels let more past.
Image: University of Erlangen
'The detectors pick up this pattern of X-ray strength and send it to a powerful computer. Here, sophisticated software translates the information and reconstructs a detailed 3D picture of the patient's insides.'
Bruno Doerrfuss, CT scanner engineer, Siemens
Bruno Doerrfuss, CT scanner engineer, Siemens
Now these virtual pictures are so close to reality that they give away even subtle signs of disease.
Bruno Doerrfuss, CT scanner engineer, Siemens