Spectral photon-counting CT in cardiovascular imaging

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is an emerging technology promising to substantially improve cardiovascular imaging. Recent engineering and manufacturing advances by several vendors are expected to imminently launch this new technology into clinical reality. Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) have multiple potential advantages over conventional energy integrating detectors (EIDs) such as the absence of electronic noise, multi-energy capability, and increased spatial resolution. These developments will have different timescales for implementation and will affect different clinical scopes. We describe the technical aspects of PCCT, explain the current developments, and finally discuss potential advantages of PCCT in cardiovascular imaging.

Automated summary

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is an emerging technology that shows promise in significantly improving cardiovascular imaging, with advantages such as reduced electronic noise and increased spatial resolution. Recent advancements in engineering and manufacturing by multiple vendors are expected to soon bring this new technology into clinical reality, with varying timescales for implementation and impact on different clinical scopes.