A Look Inside
1. While lying down, the patient is injected with a contrast agent that helps highlight the heart's blood vessels
2. A table slides the patient into the scanner as the X-ray tube circles the body for 5 to 8 sec.
3. The detector array records the X rays. Each complete loop creates a spiral slice of the heart composed of 64 thin slices, offering exceptional resolution

4. The scanner's computer reconstructs the spiral slices into hundreds of 2-D images, much like slices from a loaf of bread

5. The doctor's computer processes the slices, creating a 3-D composite that can show the pumping action of the heart
Sources: GE Healthcare; Siemens TIME Graphic by Lon Tweeten and Kristina Dell
Most Popular »
- The Fall of Greg Craig, Obama's Top Lawyer
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Twilight Sequel New Moon Sets Records at the Box Office
- Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin
- Canada Woman Loses Benefits over Facebook Photo
- New Moon Review: Team Jacob Ascending
- The Story of Barack Obama's Mother
- Low Prices and Booze Put Brunch on the Rise
- Riding the Waves of Irrational Behavior
- Fat Fees and Smoker Surcharges: Tough-Love Health Incentives
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Nation: THE MARCH IN WASHINGTON
- Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin
- Tuition Hikes: Protests in California and Elsewhere
- Low Prices and Booze Put Brunch on the Rise
- Who Will Inherit Joel Stein's Kid?
- For Churches, Beefed-Up Security Is a Mixed Blessing
- Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
- Spanish Outraged by Teen Masturbation Workshops
- Twilight Sequel New Moon Sets Records at the Box Office
Quotes of the Day »
BILL BROWDER, the founder of investment fund Hermitage Capital that specializes in Russian markets, after his lawyer died in a Russian prison after being held for a year without charge







RSS