What is Computer-assisted Tomography?
Computed tomography is a diagnostic tool which uses x-rays to generate detailed images of "slices" of the body. Think of the body as a loaf of bread.  In a CT scan, the patient lies still on a table while the x-ray source and sensors/detectors rotate around the patient, and the table moves horizontally. Thus, x-ray data is collected from multiple angles. Computers process the x-ray data in order to generate detailed, composite images of the relevant 'slices' of the body.

Because CT scans reveal the exact shape and location of soft tissues as well as bone, computed tomography is useful in diagnosing a number of conditions including tumors and infections.

64 Slice Toshiba Aquilion CT Scanner
Valley Open MRI & Diagnostic Center installed the world’s fastest CT system - a 64 slice Aquilion by Toshiba America Medical Systems.  What the “64” slices means is that the Aquilion system acquires 64 slices or x-ray image data during each 0.6 second rotation.

By acquiring this CT (also called a CAT scanner), Valley Open MRI & Diagnostic Center, has joined a handful of elite facilities that are making CT exams shorter and more accurate than ever before.

CT has become one of the most important tools to diagnose head and spine injuries, lung and liver disease, cancer, tumors, blood clots, internal bleeding and other diseases and illnesses. In addition, Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) is now performed. CCTA is a non-invasive technique which allows the evaluation of the heart’s blood vessels.

The 64 multi-slice scanner’s speed cuts the average CT exam time by more than 50 percent. This means that each patient undergoing a CT scan will experience a shorter exam, which may lead to more rapid diagnosis and treatment.

But the 64 multi-slice CT is not just faster than any other system, it provides clearer, better 3-D pictures of anatomical structures like aneurysms, tumors and infections. When physicians can see what is inside better, they can provide more accurate diagnoses.

"Residents do not need to leave our community to have access to the best CT system available today," said Dr. Juan D. Gaia, president and chief radiologist of Valley Open MRI & Diagnostic Center. "This technology can be lifesaving by providing better, more precise images of bones, organs and internal structures than other CT systems. For patients with blood clots, infections, and diseases like cancer, early diagnosis with the 64 multi-slice CT scanner can result in faster, more effective treatment."

Performing the CT Exam
During a CT exam, a patient lies on a table and is slowly moved into the large, bright and comfortable donut-shaped opening of the scanner. Once positioned, a series of X-ray beams create hundreds of cross-sectional pictures that represent slices of the patient’s body. Seconds later, the system’s computer assembles the slices into 2 D and 3 D images.

The 64 slice CT scanner can acquire more of these anatomical slices than prior systems, thanks to the a multi-slice imaging technology. In fact, this scanner is so fast that it can rotate around a patient’s body in little more than half a second. At that speed, this CT creates a gravitational force of 13 Gs -- four times the force of the Space Shuttle during lift off. But the only sensation the patient experiences are the quiet ticking of the machine.

As a result, Toshiba's multi-slice technology is quick enough to capture images of the body’s rapidly moving organs like the heart and lungs, which appear blurry when scanned by traditional systems. "In a short period of time, we can now evaluate the heart in a very comprehensive fashion, with limited radiation exposure and no surgical risks or hospital admission," said Dr. Gaia. "Multi-slice imaging is also especially useful for examining patients who are unable to hold their breath, like acutely ill patients and young children."