This is a procedure performed using a multi-slice CT. The current multi-slice CT that exquisitely produces coronary artery images, is a 64-slice CT scanner from Siemens.

This scanner has a special x-ray tube and rotation speed, capable of performing 3 rotations in a second. In each rotation, 64-slices are produced, giving us approximately 194 slices per second. This is the fastest scanner in the industry, currently.

Speed is extremely important in our ability to "freeze" the heart. Since the heart is a rapidly moving structure, the only way to image structures within it, is if we can scan as fast as the heart beats or close enough.

All scans are gated to the ECG trace. This allows us to position our data acquisition accurately in specific phases.

Using this modality we can perform the following procedures as part of a cardiac CT examination.

1. Calcium scoring
   
2. Coronary artery imaging
3. Functional assessment

	Fig. 1