A retrospectively ECG-gated multislice spiral CT scan and reconstruction technique with suppression of heart pulsation artifacts for cardio-thoracic imaging with extended volume coverage

Abstract

A method for cardio-thoracic multislice spiral CT imaging with ECG gating for suppression of heart pulsation artifacts is introduced. The proposed technique offers extended volume coverage compared with standard ECG-gated spiral scan and reconstruction approaches for cardiac applications: Thin-slice data of the entire thorax can be acquired within one breath-hold period using a four-slice CT system. The extended volume coverage is enabled by a modified approach for ECG-gated image reconstruction. For a CT system with 0.5-s gantry rotation time, images are reconstructed with 250-ms image temporal resolution. Instead of selecting scan data acquired in exactly the same phase of the cardiac cycle for each image as in standard ECG-gated reconstruction techniques, the patient's ECG signal is used to omit scan data acquired during the systolic phase of highest cardiac motion. With this approach cardiac pulsation artifacts in CT studies of the aorta, of paracardiac lung segments, and of coronary bypass grafts can be effectively reduced.

Measurement of cardiac output from a test-bolus injection in multislice computed tomography

“…Using retrospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated MSCT allowed for the first time to perform CT coronary angiography [2,3], motion-free evaluation of the entire thoracic aorta [4], and to quantitatively assess left ventricular volumes [5,6,7].…”

The Frequency and Determinants of Calcification in Intracranial Arteries in Chinese Patients Who Underwent Computed Tomography Examinations

“…Currently 8-and 16-slice scanners are available, with a capacity of 32 and more numbers being anticipated. The major advantage of MDCT is improved volume coverage speed and/or longitudinal spatial resolution [2,3] . By virtue of its speed and isotropic resolution of thin slices, MDCT offers unique advantages over previous single-detector-row CT, with improved temporal and spatial resolution.…”

Sixteen-row multislice computed tomography in the assessment of pulmonary veins prior to ablative treatment: validation vs conventional pulmonary venography and study of reproducibility

“…Refraining from ECG gating did not interfere with the image quality of PVs, probably because the atria and pulmonary veins do not show as marked cardiac motion as the ventricles. Our rationale for not using ECG gating is that this adds to the ease and simplicity of the examination and markedly reduces radiation exposure [15].…”