一種新型64層計算機斷層掃描儀（CT）能夠在5～10秒鐘之內為有心臟病發作癥狀的患者生成精確的影像。

約翰霍普金斯大學醫學院(JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA)放射科醫生報道說：預期這種掃描儀可以替代許多血管造影診斷方案，這些方案是當前冠狀動脈疾病影像診斷的金標準。

約翰霍普金斯大學醫學院醫學與反射科學副教授、心血管科醫生Joao Lima說：“這種新出現的技術將大大改變我們目前處理冠狀動脈疑似患者以及胸部疼痛患者的處理方法。通過迅速快捷地檢查阻塞動脈，我們能夠篩選出那些心臟病即將發作或者不發作的高?；颊?，從而免除不必要的心臟導管治療。而且我們也不再需要等待患者病情穩定之后再進行至關重要的診斷檢查。"

這種安裝在約翰霍普金斯大學醫學院的新型CT掃描儀是Aquilon 64 CFX型多層掃描儀，由Toshiba美國醫療系統集團公司(Tustin, CA, USA)制造的。這種掃描儀生成影像的速度是32層掃描儀的2倍，而且更加清晰。所獲得的影像質量是如此精確，以至于無需進行侵入性、更加危險的檢查（例如血管造影或者心臟導管）來檢查動脈阻塞。
 
Rapid CT Diagnosis of Heart Attack
 
A new 64-slice computerized tomography (CT) scanner produces precise images within five to 10 seconds for patients with heart attack symptoms.

Radiologists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU; Baltimore, MD, USA) reported that the scanner is expected to replace many diagnostic angiography procedures, the current gold standard for diagnostic imaging of the coronary arteries.

“This added technology will dramatically alter the way we currently treat patients with suspected coronary disease and chest pain,” said cardiologist Joao Lima, M.D., associate professor of medicine and radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “By immediately and very quickly checking for blocked arteries, we can sort out who is and is not at high risk of having a heart attack, and eliminate the need for unnecessary cardiac catheterization. And we no longer need to wait until a patient is stabilized before performing this critical diagnostic test.”

The new CT scanner installed at JHU is an Aquilon 64 CFX multislice CT scanner, manufactured by Toshiba American Medical Systems, Inc (Tustin, CA, USA). The scanner produces images at twice the speed and in greater detail than the 32-slice, and the image quality is so precise it lessens the need for invasive, more dangerous procedures such as angiography or cardiac catheterization, to look for arterial blockages.