Imaging of coronary arteries using synchrotron radiation

Abstract Currently the imaging of coronary arteries is dangerous since it requires that a catheter be inserted into a peripheral artery and threaded up to the heart so that contrast agent can be injected directly into the artery being imaged. Using synchrotron radiation it may be possible to use a much safer venous injection of a contrast agent and still have sufficient image contrast to visualize the coronary arteries. A pair of monochromatized X-ray beams are used which have energies that bracket the iodine K absorption edge where the iodine absorption cross section jumps by a factor of six. Therefore, the logarithmic difference image has excellent sensitivity to contrast agent and minimal sensitivity to tissue and bone. Images have been taken of both dogs and humans. Improvements are being made to the imaging system which will substantially improve the image quality.