The CT scanner takes detailed, 3-D images, creating a “virtual tour” through the heart. These images can reveal even the smallest blockages within arteries—all in less than 30 seconds. This technology enables some patients to avoid an invasive procedure in which a tube is inserted through the groin and into the heart to detect blockages. In other words, the CT procedure is more comfortable for patients.

This new generation of scanners is revolutionizing the way physicians detect and diagnose heart disease. The technology has been particularly exciting for studying the beating heart. The scans can be timed to use only images gathered between contractions, so that the heart and its vessels can be seen without the blurring caused by motion.