EBCT makes use of a stationary electron emitter which does not circle around the patient. This electron emitter is large and partially surrounds the imaging circle. An electron beam focus is swept electronically, not mechanically, as in conventional CT, along a tungsten target to emit X-rays from different angles.
Definition. Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) is a fast and sensitive test for detecting calcium build-up in the arteries of the heart. It uses an electron gun instead of regular x-rays to scan the chest.
Electron-beam CT (EBCT) is a fast, highly sensitive, and noninvasive technique to assess dynamic processes. EBCT is also called ultrafast CT [32]. EBCT makes use of a stationary electron emitter which does not circle around the patient. This electron emitter is large and partially surrounds the imaging circle.
Introduced clinically in the 1980s, electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) scanners are primarily used in adult cardiology to image the beating heart.
There are several advantages over conventional CT. The major advantage is the fast acquisition time, which results in less need for sedation of the central nervous system. The imaging of moving structures is less blurry. As EBCT generates X-rays with an electron beam, the radiation exposure is decreased.
