Dose Reduction in Multi-slice CT of the Heart by Use of ECG-controlled Tube Current Modulation (“ECG pulsing”): Phantom Measurements

Abstract

The ECG-controlled tube current modulation allows a dose reduction of 37 % to 44 % when retrospectively ECG-gated MSCT of the heart is performed. The tube current - as a function over time - and therefore the radiation exposure is dependent on the heart rate.

Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease by Cardiac Computed Tomography

“…10 One drawback of MDCT as compared with EBCT is the higher radiation exposure to the patient (Table 4). 10,11,[73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84] The x-ray photon flux expressed by the product of x-ray tube current and exposure time (mAs) is generally higher with MDCT. For example, 200 mA with 0.5-second exposure time yields 100 mAs in MDCT versus 614 mA (fixed tube current) with 0.1-second exposure time yields 61.4 mAs in EBCT.…”

“…Modulating the tube current online with prospective ECG control (dose modulation) is reported to help reduce radiation exposure substantially without decreasing diagnostic image quality. 83,84 For MDCT coronary angiography, dose modulation techniques reduce radiation exposures 84 and should be employed whenever possible. The effects of dose reduction are more pronounced for lower heart rates.…”

Ultra-low-dose dual-source CT coronary angiography with high pitch: diagnostic yield of a volumetric planning scan and effects on dose reduction and imaging strategy

“…In accordance with this principle, all technical developments in cardiac CT therefore had a two-fold aim: to improve diagnostic accuracy while at the same time also reducing radiation exposure by using techniques such as tube current modulation based on ECG recording, 15 prospective ECG gating 16 or modulation according to biometric patient characteristics (BMI, chest diameter). 17,18 In our study, an automatic online exposure control by means of the Care Dose 4D software tool based on the initial radiogram was used.…”

High-Pitch Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography – A New Dose Saving Algorithm: Estimation of Radiation Exposure

“…In high-pitch CTCA, the femalespecific effective dose is higher compared to male effective dose measurements by an average of up to 8.6%. In conventional overlapping CTCA data acquisition, however, females received increased effective dose values of up to 70% [6,[12][13][14].…”