More and more coronary CT angiography (CCTA) exams are scanned with low-radiation protocols, which means the images can be a lower quality than usual. TeraRecon, a provider of advanced visualization technologies, has responded by enhancing its post-processing algorithms to reduce noise that potentially can cause artifacts. The company highlighted this application, along with other tools, at ACC.10 in Atlanta.

The iNtuition software incorporates an expanded range of tools to pre-process and filter CCTA image data to adapt the diagnostic appearance of these images in accordance with departmental standards or according to each physician's preferences. The ability to visualize vasculature, small or large, and reduce the presence of noise artifacts may be improved by the application of iNtuition adaptive filtering techniques and smoothing algorithms, according to the company.

The automatic processing server (APS) can be pre-programmed to select the incoming low-dose thin-slice data and generate thicker slices to reduce the signal-to-noise ratio for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment. TeraRecon said that the APS stacks several images together, thereby increasing the contrast, allowing smoother edges for better LV function assessment—all with less radiation than normal to the patient.