New Medical Test Detects Heart Disease in Less than 10 Seconds

The 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner is a remarkable development in medical technology.

The scanner takes 64 pictures of the heart in less than a second.

The images can detect blockage in the arteries that can lead to a heart attack.

"It's the first time we've been able to achieve very rapid pictures of the heart," said Dr. Michael Thurmes, a cardiac specialist and president of the Minnesota Heart Clinic.

After a dye is injected to enhance the images, the patient is rolled into the scanner.

The scanner rotates, taking thousands of pictures in less than 30 seconds.

"You have to take pictures rapidly, and you have to have high resolution to see the very small coronary arteries," Thurmes said.

Within minutes, the results can be explained to the patient.

For now, a patient can't just walk in off the street for a scan. Usually, a patient must have at least two of the major risks for heart disease.

Besides giving an accurate scan in less than 10 seconds, the tool would also help avoid the lengthy process of the patient undergoing the catheterisation process.

"The main cardiac risk factors are smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a family history of premature coronary disease," Thurmes said.

In the past, doctors have had to use invasive surgery to look for blockage, such as the insertion of a catheter to perform an angiogram.

With CT scans, doctors can look for signs of heart disease without cutting into the body or inserting tubes.

The following 11 hospitals currently have the 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner: