Characteristics of temporal resolution in 16- and 64-row computed tomography scanners

This study aimed to analyze the temporal sensitivity profile (TSP) shapes and temporal resolutions of computed tomography (CT) and investigate the effect of a combination of a given rotation time and helical pitch on the TSP and image quality. The study was performed on 16- and 64-row CT scanners, and the TSP and temporal resolution were measured using the impulse method. A shorter gantry rotation time and larger helical pitch improved the temporal resolution of both CT scanners. Although the measured TSP shapes were dependent on the helical pitch, the maximum helical pitch did not improve the temporal resolution of either CT scanner. Different combinations of gantry rotation time and helical pitch yielded different TSP shapes such as the triangle, trapezoid, and rectangle, despite the use of equivalent scan speeds. We suggest that the different combinations of rotation time and helical pitch can greatly affect the TSP shapes.