Computed Tomography

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has become a primary cardiovascular imaging modality in the past 20 years, and was recommended as a 1A recommendation in the 2021 chest pain assessment guidelines. CT calcium scoring has became a primary risk assessment for coronary artery disease and whether patients should be on statins. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is used to for anatomical assessment of the arteries for plaque burden and to identify areas of blockage that may cause ischemia and heart attacks. Additional use of contrast CT perfusion or fractional flow reserve CT (FFR-CT) can offer physiological information on the function of the heart. CT plays a primary role in structural heart assessments for heart valves, repair of congenital defects and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for both pre-procedure planning and procedural guidance. Find more news on general radiology CT use.

AI helps cardiologists track new drug's effect on inflammation
The combination of AI and CT helped Nehal Mehta, MD, and colleagues track the performance of a new drug designed to target coronary inflammation.
AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients
Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.
AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required
Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans.
CT procedure shown to reduce need for invasive cardiac testing
In a study, CT-FFR was shown to reduce the need for invasive tests to measure coronary artery blockage from 74.5% to 25.5%.
$Performing CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) improves the accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and helps limit unneeded invasive coronary angiography (ICA), according to a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Heartflow$
New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates
Radiologists with Massachusetts General Hospital found that the selective use of cardiac CT and AI-based CAD evaluations could make a significant impact on patient care.

Video of Dhruv Mehta explaining the two new Canon AI-enabled CT systems launched at the 2023 RSNA. #CanonMedical #RSNA #RSNA23 #RSNA2023

Canon launches two new AI-based CT systems

The company unveiled its latest computed tomography systems at RSNA 2023, aiming to address staffing shortages and improve image quality.

December 12, 2023

Cardiac imaging expert Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD, explains how calcium scoring can determine if patients need to be on statins or not.

CT calcium scoring can determine if patients need statins

Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD, director, non-invasive cardiac imaging, at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, explains CT calcium scoring can determine if a patient needs to take aspirin and statins for prevention of coronary disease.

December 6, 2023

Example of cardiac CT and how spectral imaging assessment of the scan and show areas myocarditis as part of a demo in the Philips booth at RSNA 2023. Cardiac CT took center stage in all of the large CT vendors this year at RSNA and four new CT scanners where introduced, all of which were being promoted for their cardiac imaging capabilities. Photo by Dave Fornell #RSNA #YesCCT #RSNA23 #RSNA2023

Cardiac CT's continued rise on display at RSNA 2023

CCTA has seen rapid adoption and growth over the past two years, and RSNA vendors fed that trend with new product launches.

December 5, 2023

Deep learning in cardiovascular imaging: 4 key takeaways for cardiologists

More and more AI algorithms are being trained to learn, think and act like a human physician. What does this mean for the future of cardiovascular imaging as time goes on?

November 21, 2023

Arineta Cardio Imaging, a healthcare company based in Israel, gained clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) technology used in its SpotLight cardiovascular CT scanners. Arineta Cardio Imaging cardiovascular CT scanners AI.

FDA clears AI-powered image reconstruction technology for cardiac CT scanners

The new technology, trained using more than 3 billion data points, was designed to reduce image noise and improve the overall quality of CT scans.

November 20, 2023

Siemens Healthineers unveils smaller dual source CT machine, designed for rural areas

The Somatom Pro.Pulse consumes 20% less power when compared to larger machines, reducing costs for healthcare organizations.

November 16, 2023

AI specialists raise $80M to ramp up commercialization of imaging analysis software

The big funding round continues a busy year for Elucid as the company works to get its AI software in the hands of more physicians.

November 9, 2023

Video of David Hur discussing how to overcome technical challenges in cardiac CT, which he presented on in sessions at SCCT 2023.

Overcoming technical challenges in cardiac CT

David Hur, MD, director of structural heart disease/interventional imaging at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and an assistant professor of medicine at Yale, explains the technical challenges encountered in cardiac computed tomography (CT) and how to overcome them.

October 17, 2023

Computed Tomography

AI helps cardiologists track new drug's effect on inflammation

AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients

AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required

CT procedure shown to reduce need for invasive cardiac testing

New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates