Non-invasive imaging technologies continue to revolutionize every subspecialty of medicine, including cardiology. New imaging devices, such as the 16-slice cardiac CT scanner, show great promise in providing more accurate diagnoses of a wider variety of cardiovascular abnormalities.

St. Luke’s Medical Center offers the next-generation multi-detector CT scanner and the gold standard in diagnostic CT imaging technology—the 64-slice CT scanner.

Superior image quality at remarkable speed
The 64-slice CT scanner allows physicians to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. It has four times as many detectors as a typical multi-detector CT scanner, providing superior image quality at remarkable speed.

The new, revolutionary 64-slice CT scanner produces sharp, clear three-dimensional images of the heart in seconds, revealing greater anatomical detail in cardiovascular studies, among others. It enables accurate diagnosis of arterial blockages, aortic dissections and pulmonary embolisms.

Shorter scan times mean more detailed images and allow for a more comfortable patient experience. The 64-slice CT scanner can scan slices less than a millimeter apart and takes less than half a second to circle the body. It can cover about 40 millimeters at a pass, which takes 0.4 seconds. At that rate, a 64-slice CT can gather a high-resolution image of a heart in about 5 seconds. This means that even patients with severe pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure can hold their breath for the required length of time without compromising the accuracy of the scan.

This advanced CT scanner offers many automatic features—thus, doctors can spend more time taking care of the patient instead of fiddling with the equipment. The 64-slice CT scanner provides early-stage diagnostics that are important to determine effective treatment options. With this technology, St. Luke’s physicians are able to more effectively detect and treat a range of life-threatening illnesses and injuries. This is especially helpful in emergency cases where the need to provide prompt and precise images is crucial.

Accurate and safe
The 64-slice CT scanner is also equipped with Dose Wise software to ensure minimal radiation dose while producing unprecedented high-resolution images at remarkable speed. Thus, it uses a significantly lower amount of X-ray energy than many other CT systems. With its unique technology, the new scanner enables St. Luke’s physicians to get critical anatomical information while limiting the X-ray dose to the patient to the absolute minimum possible, especially for children. The 64-slice CT scanner also has built-in pediatric protocols that further minimize the X-ray dose to children.

St. Luke’s Medical Center had the first operational 64-slice CT scanner in the Philippines. St. Luke's also has a 16-slice CT scanner.