RadioGraphics 2008; 28:2009-2022
Rajiv Gupta, MD, PhD , Arnold C. Cheung, MD , Soenke H. Bartling, MD , Jennifer Lisauskas, MS, Michael Grasruck, PhD ,Christianne Leidecker, PhD , Bernhard Schmidt, PhD, Thomas Flohr, PhD , Thomas J. Brady, MD
Flat-panel volume computed tomography (CT) systems have an in¬novative design that allows coverage of a large volume per rotation, fluoroscopic and dynamic imaging, and high spatial resolution that permits visualization of complex human anatomy such as fine tempo¬ral bone structures and trabecular bone architecture. In simple terms, flat-panel volume CT scanners can be thought of as conventional mul¬tidetector CT scanners in which the detector rows have been replaced by an area detector. The flat-panel detector has wide z-axis coverage that enables imaging of entire organs in one axial acquisition. Its fluo¬roscopic and angiographic capabilities are useful for intraoperative and vascular applications. Furthermore, the high-volume coverage and continuous rotation of the detector may enable depiction of dynamic processes such as coronary blood flow and whole-brain perfusion. Other applications in which flat-panel volume CT may play a role in¬clude small-animal imaging, nondestructive testing in animal survival surgeries, and tissue-engineering experiments. Such versatility has led some to predict that flat-panel volume CT will gain importance in interventional and intraoperative applications, especially in specialties such as cardiac imaging, interventional neuroradiology, orthopedics, and otolaryngology. However, the contrast resolution of flat-panel vol¬ume CT is slightly inferior to that of multidetector CT, a higher radia¬tion dose is needed to achieve a comparable signal-to-noise ratio, and a slower scintillator results in a longer scanning time.