{"id":19210,"date":"2024-01-19T15:59:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T08:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abdiwaluyo.com\/?p=19210"},"modified":"2024-05-31T14:07:59","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T07:07:59","slug":"next-generation-cardiac-imaging-how-ct-cardiac-naetom-alpha-is-changing-the-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abdiwaluyo.com\/en\/health-info\/next-generation-cardiac-imaging-how-ct-cardiac-naetom-alpha-is-changing-the-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Next-Generation Cardiac Imaging: How CT Cardiac Naetom Alpha is Changing the Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

By:\u00a0 Thalia Kaylyn Averil<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Cardiac CT or computed tomography scan of the heart that produces high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images of the heart using\u00a0 X-rays taken from\u00a0 different angles.\u00a0 It can reveal problems with the heart structure, valves, and aorta and can also be used to examine the heart chambers, heart muscle, pericardium or the layer that protects the heart, coronary arteries or arteries that are located around it, as well as large arteries and veins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The objective of Cardiac CT is to obtain a clearer view of the heart’s structure and the associated blood vessels. This imaging technique serves various purposes, including identifying the causes of shortness of breath and chest pain, monitoring the heart before and after medical procedures, investigating irregularities in coronary arteries and major blood vessels, observing masses or tumors in or around the heart, examining the presence of fluid or calcification around the protective layer of the heart, assessing the functionality of heart valves, and screening for congenital heart conditions. This imaging can involve the use of contrast or be conducted without it, and when contrast is used, it is referred to as coronary CT angiography (cCTA). Coronary CT angiography supplies details about the heart’s anatomy and the blood vessels, particularly aiding in the assessment of coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nevertheless, Traditional Cardiac CT has various limitations, particularly in terms of the speed of image acquisition, spatial resolution, and the resolution of soft tissue. Presently, Traditional Cardiac CT is still not ideal for capturing images of severely calcified coronary arteries and stents. Furthermore, distinguishing between fat and noncalcified plaque surrounding the coronary arteries remains challenging due to the restricted spatial resolution of Traditional Cardiac CT. Traditional Coronary CT angiography also presents a number of drawbacks, including reduced effectiveness for smaller arteries (those less than 2 mm), challenges with high-contrast situations (such as calcifications or stents), and difficulties in discerning low-contrast scenarios (like noncalcified plaque).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Therefore, the latest technology called Photon-Counting CT (PCCT) has better spatial resolution, so it can capture clearer images of the heart. By improving spatial resolution, PCCT can measure obstruction and assess fatty deposits in blood vessels more accurately than Traditional Cardiac CT. In addition, problems such as blurry images around calcium deposits and poor images showing soft tissue can be overcome with PCCT.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Figure 1. Results from photon-counting CT<\/p><\/div>\n

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So, how does photon-counting CT (PCCT) work?<\/span><\/p>\n

Photon-counting CT and Traditional Cardiac CT employ different methods for processing photons emitted by X-rays. PCCT utilizes a detector capable of counting each photon and determining its energy level, in contrast to the traditional heart imaging CT, which relies on an energy-integrating detector. The detectors in PCCT count and categorize photons based on their energy as they traverse the body, providing precise information about tissue composition. In contrast, the conventional heart imaging CT transforms X-rays into light and then converts that light into electronic signals. However, PCCT minimizes light conversion, enhancing signal efficiency and reducing the radiation dose administered during the PCCT procedure.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The advantages of photon-counting CT compared to cardiac CT are:<\/span><\/p>\n