The “Post-64” Era of Coronary CT Angiography: Understanding New Technology from Physical Principles

Multidetector CT now provides noninvasive coronary imaging, and patients with a low or intermediate probability of coronary artery disease can be imaged with radiation levels comparable to catheterization. Cardiac imaging drives rapid progress in CT hardware. To best apply evolving technology, imagers and referring clinicians need a solid understanding of spatial resolution, temporal resolution, volume coverage, and radiation dose. This article defines and discusses interactions between these parameters for state-of-the-art CT.