Prospectively ECG-triggered rapid kV-switching dual-energy CT for quantitative imaging of myocardial perfusion

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has recently been introduced for clinical use. One potential application of DECT is myocardial perfusion imaging through the significant reduction of beam-hardening artifacts by using monochromatic image reconstruction; analysis of these images can improve the accuracy of quantitative measurement of myocardial perfusion. Single-source DECT enabled by rapid switching between the low and high tube potentials (kV) can minimize misregistration of the high and low kV projection datasets from cardiac motion. We have recently implemented prospective electrocardiography-triggering capability in our rapid kV-switching computed tomography (CT) scanner to reduce the high effective dose from a quantitative CT myocardial perfusion imaging study with DECT. Our initial investigation suggests that prospectively electrocardiography-triggered rapid kV-switching DECT can eliminate beam hardening and provide a more reproducible myocardial perfusion measurement compared with the traditional single-energy CT protocol.