Computed Tomography (CT)

Cardiac computed tomography CT systems use a series of X-ray images to create an image volume dataset that can be sliced or manipulated on any plane using advanced visualization software. This channel includes content on CT scanners, CT contrast agents, CT angiography (CTA and CCTA), CT perfusion, spectral CT (also called dual souce or dual energy CT), and interative image reconstruction software that can reduce dose and make lower-quality CT images diagnostic.

Arineta created a dedicated cardiac CT scanner in partnership with GE Healthcare a couple years ago. With increased interest in CTA with the new chest pain guidelines, the company decided to also start direct sales of these systems for the first time at RSNA in their own booth. Photos by Dave Fornell

Feature | RSNA | By Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

6 Takeaways in Cardiac and Vascular Imaging at RSNA 2021

Here are a few of the key takeaways on the new technologies that will impact cardiovascular and interventional medicine ...

January 19, 2022

Videos | Artificial Intelligence

VIDEO: Examples of Artificial Intelligence PE Response Team Apps

Here are two examples of artificial intelligence (AI) driven pulmonary embolism (PE) response team apps featured by ...

January 13, 2022

An example of HeartFlow's FFR-CT assessment, which shows areas of low blood flow based on computation fluid dynamics from a CT scan of the heart. The vendor's new PreRead software will use AI to clearly and reproducibly identify areas of ischemia due to coronary artery occlusion and act as a second set of eyes for emergency rooms evlautaing chest pain patients.

News | FFR Technologies

HeartFlow Files for FDA Review to Evaluate the Coronary Occlusions and Plaque

December 13, 2021 - HeartFlow Inc., the leader in revolutionizing precision heart care, today announced it has submitted ...

December 13, 2021

Two of the most read stories in November included CMS requiring all healthcare workers to get vaccinated by Jan. 4 and the FDA clearance of the first photon-counting CT system. The new CT technology is expected to be a paradigm shift in the future of CT technology over the next decade.

Feature | By Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

December 3, 2021 — Here is the list of the most popular content on the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC) m ...

December 03, 2021

The FDA cleared the world's first photon-counting computed tomography (CT) scanner, the Siemens Naeotom Alpha, in late September. This new technology will likely change the future direction of CT. Biosense Webster also announced the first cases using its Heliostar radiofrequency balloon ablation catheter were completed in September. Both were among the top stories in October.

Feature | By Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

November 1, 2021 — Here is the list of the most popular content on the Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology (DAIC) ...

November 01, 2021

Cardiac CT Given Strong Recommendation as Front-line Imaging of Chest Pain, but the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) did not support the guidelines.

Feature | Cardiac Diagnostics | By Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

First International Chest Pain Diagnosis Guidelines Released

October 29, 2021 — A new guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain was released this week that provides ...

October 29, 2021

HeartFlow, Inc., a leader in revolutionizing precision heart care, announced the commencement of the REVEALPLAQUE (A pRospEctiVe, multicEnter study to AnaLyze PLAQUE using CCTA) trial to evaluate HeartFlow’s non-invasive plaque technology, an automated, deep learning-based method for identifying, characterizing and segmenting plaque in the coronary arteries

News | Computed Tomography (CT)

HeartFlow Announces Enrollment of First Two Patients in REVEALPLAQUE Trial

October 20, 2021 — HeartFlow Inc. announced the commencement of the REVEALPLAQUE (A pRospEctiVe, multicEnter study to ...

October 20, 2021

$Cardiac CTA derived left atrium emptying fraction (LAEF) improves predictive performance of established clinical risk scores and may be used to assess TAVR patient risk during pre-procedure workup and post-procedural surveillance. These images show LAVmax (A and B), LAVmin (C and D), and LAEF using cardiac CTA. LAEF was calculated as (LAVmax-LAVmin)/LAVmax x 100. Given LAVmax of 109 mL and LAVmin of 80 mL, the LAEF was calculated to be 27%. Image courtesy of AJR.$

News | Computed Tomography (CT)

Cardiac CTA Parameters Predict Post-TAVR Mortality

October 14, 2021 — Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) derived left atrium emptying fraction (LAEF) improves ...

October 14, 2021

A comparison between healthy artery (left) and inflamed artery (right) using perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) mapping to detect spatial changes in perivascular fat composition induced by inflammation of the vascular wall caused by high-risk plaques.

Feature | Computed Tomography (CT)

CT Coronary Perivascular Fat Assessment Can Stratify Cardiac Risk Associated With High-Risk Plaques

October 6, 2021 — Data presented during the late-breaking science session at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 20 ...

October 06, 2021

Cardiac coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) exam showing different views of the myocardium and the coronary arteries. This was scanned on a Canon Aquilion Prime CT scanner. Trends in cardiac imaging. Cardiac imaging utilization report.

Feature | Cardiac Imaging

Trends in Cardiac Imaging Over Past Decade Shows Rapid Rise in CT

October 6, 2021 – A new study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging on cardiac imaging trends over a decade ...

October 06, 2021

A cardiac scan on the new Siemens Naeotom Alpha. This is the first commercialized photon-counting CT scanner. It gained FDA clearance Sept. 30, 2021. Image by Deutscher Zukunftpreis/Ansgar Pudenz.

Feature | Computed Tomography (CT) | By Dave Fornell, DAIC Editor

First Photon-counting CT System Cleared by the FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Sept. 30 cleared the world's first photon-counting computed tomography (CT) ...

October 04, 2021

Zebra Medical Vision now offers artificial intelligence (A) medical imaging analytics for its cardiac solution HealthCCSng, which enables the quantification of the coronary artery calcium (CAC) on CT scans as an incidental finding. Zebra gained FDA clearance for the product in September 2021.

News | Artificial Intelligence

FDA Clears Zebra Coronary Artery Calcium Solution as Part of Its Population Health Offering

September 27, 2021 — Zebra Medical Vision, the deep-learning medical imaging analytics company, announces its eighth U.S ...

September 27, 2021

Test selection should be a shared decision between patient and physician rather than directed by insurers’ test substitution policies, according to a statement published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1] The statement summarizes the proceedings of a recent summit convened by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), leadership of the American College of Cardiology Imaging Council, American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography

News | Cardiac Imaging

Cardiovascular Imaging Organizations Denounce Test Substitution by Insurance Companies

September 22, 2021 — Test selection should be a shared decision between patient and physician rather than directed by ...

September 22, 2021

Images or a digital twin mitral valve of a patient created from cardiac ultrasound that were used to perform a virtual surgical procedure to test how the intervention would impact the patient prior to actually performing the procedure. The right image shows color coding for sheer stresses on the valve leaflets before and after the virtual surgery. The right image shows the model quantitation of leaflet coaptation at peak systole prior to the the virtual surgery. Read the original article in Plos One https:/

Feature | Cardiovascular Ultrasound | By Dave Fornell, Editor

Development of Computer Generated Virtual Hearts Using Echocardiography

Outside of medicine, computer-generated virtual twins of real machines like cars or airplanes have been used in ...

July 26, 2021

An example of Viz.AI's pulmonary embolism AI application and mobile alert to the physician on-call. Viz.AI and Avicenna.AI Partner to Launch Artificial Intelligence Care Coordination for Pulmonary Embolism and Aortic Disease

News | Artificial Intelligence

Viz.AI and Avicenna.AI Partner to Launch Artificial Intelligence Care Coordination for Pulmonary Embolism and Aortic Disease

July 21, 2021 — Artificial intelligence (AI) medical imaging vendors Viz.AI and Avicenna.AI have partnered to enable ...

July 21, 2021