We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Events

ATTENTION: Due to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC, many events are being rescheduled for a later date, converted into virtual venues, or altogether cancelled. Please check with the event organizer or website prior to planning for any forthcoming event.

Photon-Counting CT Beats Dual-Source CT at Detecting Heart Defects in Babies

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 25 May 2023
Print article
Image: DSCT and PCCT images for comparison of quality (Photo courtesy of RWTH)
Image: DSCT and PCCT images for comparison of quality (Photo courtesy of RWTH)

In the neonatal stage, congenital heart defects emerge as the leading cause of sickness and death, impacting nearly one percent of all live births. Around a quarter of these defects are severe, necessitating surgical treatments within the first month post-birth. In order to plan for the operation and devise virtual and printed 3D heart models, extensive evaluation using ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans is usually required. Now, a study has found that a new advanced form of CT imaging called photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) offers superior cardiovascular imaging quality at a comparable radiation dose to dual-source CT (DSCT) for infants with suspected cardiac defects.

PCCT is an emerging imaging technique that records the exact count and energy measurements of incoming X-ray photons. In comparison to DSCT, PCCT delivers higher image resolution and/or lower radiation doses, a feature that is especially useful in pediatric imaging. Although the efficacy of PCCT in enhancing cardiovascular CT imaging in adults has been established, there is a dearth of information about its application in neonates and young children. For their study, researchers at RWTH Aachen University Hospital (Aachen, Germany) assessed pre-existing clinical CT scans of 113 children who had undergone contrast-enhanced PCCT (30 infants), DSCT (83 infants), or both (one infant) for their heart and thoracic aorta from January 2019 through October 2022. The group under study was comprised of 55 girls and 58 boys, with a median age of 66 days.

The researchers found that the PCCT images were sharper, had less image noise, and demonstrated higher contrast than DSCT images. The mean overall visual quality of the images was higher for PCCT than DSCT, using a similar radiation dose. Over 97% of PCCT images met the diagnostic quality criteria, as opposed to 77% of DSCT images. It was also observed by the research team that almost one-fourth of the DSCT images were of restricted or non-diagnostic quality, and 40% were of moderate quality.

“In our study, none of the PCCT examinations exhibited a poor image quality, and only a few were of limited or moderate quality,” said Timm Dirrichs, M.D., senior physician and specialist in cardiothoracic radiology in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at RWTH Aachen University Hospital. “PCCT is a promising method that may improve diagnostic image quality and efficiency compared to DSCT imaging. This higher efficiency can be used to reduce the radiation dose at a given image quality level or to improve image quality at a given radiation level.”

Related Links:
RWTH Aachen University Hospital 

Gold Supplier
Ultrasound Phantom
Multi-Purpose Multi-Tissue Ultrasound Phantom - Model 040GSE
New
Digital Ultrasound Scanner
PL-3018I 3D
New
Gold Supplier
Conductive Gel
Tensive
New
CT Injector Syringe
MDT CT Injector Syringe

Print article
FIME - Informa

Channels

Radiography

view channel
Image: BiOI ruby-like crystals can improve medical imaging safety by lowering intensities of harmful X-rays (Photo courtesy of University of Cambridge)

Sustainable Solar Cell Material Could Revolutionize Medical Imaging

The use of X-rays for internal body imaging has dramatically changed non-invasive medical diagnostics. Yet, the high dose of X-rays required for these imaging techniques, due to the poor performance of... Read more

MRI

view channel
Image: Ezra Flash AI has received 510(k) FDA clearance, enabling roll out of the world’s first 30-minute full body MRI (Photo courtesy of Ezra)

World's First 30 Minute Full Body MRI Scan Offers Fast, Accurate and Affordable Cancer Diagnosis

A cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) solution enhances MR image quality, paving the way for a reduction in scan time and consequently, the cost of MRI procedures. This innovation now makes it feasible... Read more

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: Attaching microbubbles to macrophages can create high-resolution and sensitive tracking images useful for disease diagnosis (Photo courtesy of Georgia Institute of Technology)

Ultrasound Can Image Immune Cells Enhanced With Microbubbles to Diagnose Early Stage Cancer

Macrophages, a type of white blood cell, protect the human body by surrounding and consuming foreign particles such as bacteria, viruses, and dead cells. Notably, these immune cells tend to gather within... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: New imaging method offers potential for diagnosing, staging, and treating multiple types of cancer (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

New Imaging Method Superior for Diagnosing Multiple Types of Cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts play a significant role in tumor development, migration, and progression. A subset of these fibroblasts expresses fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a protein prominently... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: The global AI-enabled medical imaging solutions market is expected to reach USD 18.36 billion in 2032 (Photo courtesy of Freepik)

Global AI-Enabled Medical Imaging Solutions Market Driven by Need for Early Disease Detection

The AI-enabled medical imaging solutions market is currently in its developmental stages, following the significant role of AI-based tools in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic saw an upswing... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2023 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.