"64 SLICE" HELICAL CT:
CT (computed tomography) has been revolutionized by the advent of volumetric (spiral, helical) CT. In contrast to conventional CT which images a slice of the body, incrementally moves the patient, obtains another slice, and so forth, helical CT acquires data continuously as the patient travels through the CT gantry. This approach markedly decreases the time required to do a study. The entire chest, abdomen and pelvis are scanned in seconds. It’s other advantages are elimination of motion artifact, imaging during the window of optimal contrast enhancement for maximal image contrast, and the capability of presenting and interpreting images in any plane (multiplanar reformatting).

Parkview Imaging has recently installed "64 slice" CT (Toshiba). The x-ray tube within the scanner completes a 360 degree rotation in 0.4 seconds creating 64, 0.5 mm slices. This design achieves extremely high resolution within a very short scan time. The newest application for this powerful technology is imaging of the heart and the coronary arteries. CT angiography of the coronary arteries with the intravenous injection of contrast has become a reality. Refer to the CT Coronary Angiography section for representative images. Shortened data acquisition times and increased resolution will be advantageous for maximizing diagnostic accuracy in imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. The computer creates the images instantly and they are reviewed prior to the patient leaving the facility.

Multidetector row helical CT (64) has many orthopedic applications. After the scan data is acquired a powerful computer workstation is utilized to view the scanned anatomy in any plane and volume rendering to do 3-D analysis. These concepts are useful for surgical planning.

Oral surgeons utilize the information obtained from scanning of the maxilla and mandible (upper and lower jaw) for evaluation of bone detail and location of nerves in preparing for dental implants. The information provided cannot be obtained from standard x-rays.

CT quantitative bone densitometry is the most accurate means of assessing bone density. The density of trabecular bone in the lumbar vertebral bodies is calculated by reference to a known standard (phantom). This data is then graphically reported as compared to normal for age to predict the status of the patient’s bone density and fracture risk.