Till now, the ‘CT Scan’ techniques enabled the doctors to detect diseased vessels and valves. A new technique has been devised which would not only allow the doctors to look at the heart vessels, heart function and heart blood flow with a single CT scan. This “Single Computerized Tomographic (CT) Scan” utilized by the doctors shared their experience of working with this new technique and found that it could enable all inclusive diagnosis of the heart disease.The researchers at ‘CT Research and Development’ claimed that his new CT scan not only can detect the poor blood flow in the heart muscle but also can now detect blocked arteries and narrowing of the blood vessels in the heart.
The ‘MUSC scanner’ uses the “dual energy technique” by adding two x-ray spectrums, each emitting varying degrees of energy like a series of x-rays, to gain a static image of the coronary arteries and the heart muscle. This enabled mapping the blood distribution within the heart muscle and pinpointing areas with decreased blood supply. The whole process could be accomplished within 15 seconds or less. Doctors could also diagnose for other ailments that might be affecting the lungs or chest wall.
In addition to promise considerable cost savings, it is also more convenient and reduces the chances of radiation exposure to the patients.
According to Dr. Schoepf, the lead investigator of the study, this new innovative technique could be established as a “long coveted ‘one-stop-shop’ test that allows us to look at the heart vessels, heart function and heart blood flow with a single CT scan and within a single breath-hold,”
Till present blockages or narrowing o the heart diseases were the only indicators held mainly for a heart attack, and the need of an invasive heart catheterization was never felt. MUSC, like other cardiovascular centers had also been relying upon conventional methods such as cardiac catheterization, nuclear medicine or magnetic resonance (MR) scanners to reach the completer diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
However this addition of a new technique has provided them to reach better results as compared to the old conventional methods for detecting decreased blood supply in the heart muscle.
