Cardiac CT
Current scanners are 16 slices or less, requiring long breath holds with less chance of good imaging and are only able to measure the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries. This information has been useful for research, but less practical for the individual patient. The new 64 slice scanners, in addition to being able to get calcium scores, will also be able to look directly at the vessels for blockages, be they composed of calcium or cholesterol.
64 slice CT scanners will help answer many other cardiology questions. The new generation scanners can look at bypass grafts and stents, to tell if they are open. This will allow patients who have gone through either surgery or stenting in the past to get important heart information without resorting to an invasive cardiac catheterization. And clearly, if the scanner finds a problem, the patients will be one step ahead in terms of planning for fixing the blockages with stents.
MIS is positioning itself to partner with physicians to add these new, high-tech imaging modalities to their practices. The end result will be improved patient care and a new revenue stream for the practice. Truly a "win-win" for everyone.