ABSTRACT
Continued developments in CT imaging are in part driven
by the quest for increased accuracy, sensitivity and speci-
ficity of the measurements made from those CT images.
These can be achieved by ‘brute force’ improvement of
the current CT scanner capabilities by technological
advances applied to the systems. This approach is usually
limited by the cost and technological possibilities. However,
some plausible capabilities (which often cannot be fully eval-
uated as to their value until a system is made available),
which are suggested from new insights obtained from
research or clinical experience may only be achievable by use
of aspects of x-ray interaction with matter different from the
current use of attenuation of x-rays. All these potential
developments must keep in mind the radiation exposure
associated with a CT scan that has to be balanced against the
possible harm done to a subject if the CT scan is not
performed. Thus, for a person aged 65, repeated CT scans
for monitoring of progression of coronary artery disease
may be more readily justified than CT-based screening of
20-years-old.
