New advances in cardiac computed tomography

Applications of computed tomography (CT) for cardiac imaging have evolved rapidly with the introduction of new hardware. These advances require a technology update, particularly as the new scanners have novel, unique features. This review focuses on post-64 generation CT scanner capabilities and novel clinical research applications enabled by these technologies.

By the release date of multicenter publications to evaluate 64-detector row coronary CT, new technology advanced the state of the art in terms of key metrics such as temporal resolution and volume coverage. Moreover, cardiac CT protocols continue to evolve and spark new applications. CT is now being used for plaque detection and is being applied for stress perfusion imaging. In addition, scanners have novel strategies for single heartbeat whole coronary imaging; this has enabled evaluations of endothelial shear stress and differences in coronary contrast opacification at a single point in time.

Continuous improvements in technology have moved CT beyond 64-detector rows. Understanding these technical specifications will enable evaluation of current and future applications for noninvasive cardiac imaging.