Skip to main content
Log in

Recent and Future Directions in CT Imaging

  • Published:
Annals of Biomedical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) has made enormous technical advances since its introduction into clinical use. The engineering improvements have in turn led to important clinical applications and large impact in patient care. This paper reviews the technology development trends in CT since its introduction and uses these trends to help illuminate likely future progress. The prediction is that significant further improvements in speed, spatial resolution and dose efficiency can be expected in the next decade.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The data for the values in Fig. 1 and in similar figures were kindly provided through personal communications by Ami Altman, Thomas Flohr, David Hoffman, Jiang Hsieh, Richard Mather, Raymond Schultz, Robert Senzig, and Michael Silver.

References

  1. Alvarez, R. E., and A. Macovski. Energy-selective reconstructions in X-ray computerised tomography. Phys. Med. Biol. 21:733–744, 1976.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Baek, J., A. R. Pineda, and N. J. Pelc. To bin or not to bin? The effect of CT system limiting resolution on noise and detectability. Phys. Med. Biol. 58:1433–1446, 2013.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Boone, J. M., T. R. Nelson, K. K. Lindfors, and J. A. Seibert. Dedicated breast CT: radiation dose and image quality evaluation. Radiology 221:657–667, 2001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Boyd, D. P., and M. Lipton. Cardiac computed tomography. Proc. IEEE. 71:298–307, 1983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Broder, J., L. Fordham, and D. Warshauer. Increasing utilization of computed tomography in the pediatric emergency department, 2000–2006. Emerg. Radiol. 14:227–232, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Broder, J., and D. Warshauer. Increasing utilization of computed tomography in the adult emergency department, 2000–2005. Emerg. Radiol. 13:25–30, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chesler, D. A., S. J. Riederer, and N. J. Pelc. Noise due to photon counting statistics in computed X-ray tomography. J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr. 1:64–74, 1977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Christner, J. A., V. A. Zavaletta, C. D. Eusemann, A. I. Walz-Flannigan, and C. H. McCollough. Dose reduction in helical CT: dynamically adjustable z-axis X-ray beam collimation. Am. J. Roentgenol. 194:W49, 2010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. De Man, B., S. Basu, D. Bequé, B. Claus, P. Edic, et al. Multi-source inverse geometry CT: a new system concept for X-ray computed tomography. In: Proceedings of SPIE Medical Imaging Conference, San Diego, CA, 2007.

  10. Flohr, T. G., C. H. McCollough, H. Bruder, M. Petersilka, K. Gruber, et al. First performance evaluation of a dual-source CT (DSCT) system. Eur. Radiol. 16:256–268, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fuchs, V. R., and H. C. Sox, Jr. Physicians’ views of the relative importance of thirty medical innovations. Health Aff. 20:30–42, 2001.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Halliburton, S., A. Arbab-Zadeh, D. De, A. J. Einstein, R. Gentry, et al. State-of-the-art in CT hardware and scan modes for cardiovascular CT. J. Cardiovasc. Comput. Tomogr. 6:154–163, 2012.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hsieh, J. Computed Tomography: Principles, Design, Artifacts, and Recent Advances (2nd ed.). Bellingham, WA: Society of Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineering, 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hsieh, S. S., and N. J. Pelc. The feasibility of a piecewise-linear dynamic bowtie filter. Med. Phys. 40:031910-1-12, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kachelriess, M., and W. A. Kalender. ECG-correlated image reconstruction from subsecond spiral computed tomography scans of the heart. Med. Phys. 25:2417–2431, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Leipsic, J., T. M. Labounty, C. J. Hague, G. B. J. Mancini, J. M. O’Brien, et al. Effect of a novel vendor-specific motion-correction algorithm on image quality and diagnostic accuracy in persons undergoing coronary CT angiography without rate-control medications. J. Cardiovasc. Comput. Tomogr. 6:164–171, 2012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. NCRP Report No. 160, Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States; National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, 2009.

  18. Pelc, N. J. Statistical aspects of digital X-ray imaging. In: Electronic Imaging in Medicine, edited by G. D. Fullerton. New York: American Institute of Physics, 1984, pp. 320–331.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rohkohl, C., H. Bruder, K. Stierstorfer, and T. Flohr. Improving best-phase image quality in cardiac CT by motion correction with MAM optimization. Med. Phys. 40(031901):1–15, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Szczykutowicz, T. P., and C. A. Mistretta. Design of a digital beam attenuation system for computed tomography. Part II. Performance study and initial results. Med. Phys. 40:021906-1-9, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Thibault, J.-B., K. D. Sauer, C. A. Bouman, and J. Hsieh. A three-dimensional statistical approach to improved image quality for multislice helical CT. Med. Phys. 34:4526–4544, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Zbijewski, W., P. D. Jean, P. Prakash, Y. Ding, J. W. Stayman, et al. A dedicated cone-beam CT system for musculoskeletal extremities imaging: design, optimization, and initial performance characterization. Med. Phys. 38:4700–4713, 2011.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author receives research support from GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, and Samsung Electronics.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Norbert J. Pelc.

Additional information

Associate Editor Gang Bao oversaw the review of this article.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pelc, N.J. Recent and Future Directions in CT Imaging. Ann Biomed Eng 42, 260–268 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-0974-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-014-0974-z

Keywords

Navigation