From image quality to spatial resolution, there are several factors that influence the price and performance of a computed tomography (CT) scanner. If you are in the market for a CT, one of the easiest ways to save money is to separate the specifications that you need from those that you can go without. So, where does slice count fit in this mix and what are its implications?
• Slice Thickness and Spatial Resolution
• Slice Count and “Coverage”
• Speed of Acquisition
• Human vs Veterinary Importance
Slice count is often the first specification mentioned in a discussion about CT, but many veterinarians do not understand its role in CT scanning. Slice count refers to the number of rows of detectors in the z-axis of a CT. You might see a particular CT referred to as an “8-slice CT scanner,” “16-slice CT scanner,” etc. In an 8-slice CT, there are eight slices of data captured for every rotation of the gantry.
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