A new CT scanner called Revolution CT can show animated moving 4D models of any part of the human body in a fraction of a second
A new CT scanner called Revolution CT can show animated moving 4D models of any part of the human body in a fraction of a second GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare has invented the world's first CT scanner that can show users animated 4D models (as in 3D models that move) of organs, blood vessels, soft tissues, muscles, vascular structures and bones in real time.

CT scanners are widely used to diagnose an array of serious injuries and diseases due to the non-invasive nature of the technology. They work by using X-rays to create a picture on a computer of what is going on inside the body.

4D medical imaging follows the process of acquiring multiple 3D images over time but, like something out of a science-fiction movie, Revolution CT takes only a fraction of a second to scan any organ in the body, while the dose of medical radiation is 82% lower than other CT scanners.

Revolution CT - new CT scanning technology that has been approved by the FDA
Revolution CT - new CT scanning technology that has been approved by the FDA GE Healthcare

The scanner also comes with motion correction so the velocity of blood flow and organ motion displays accurately, no matter the speed of the heart rate.

West Kendall Baptist Hospital in Florida has become the first hospital in the US to install the Revolution CT this week, following an extensive six-month clinical trial, and the machine is also available at the Centre Cardiologique du Nord (CCN) in Paris, France.

"According to our physicians, patient feedback about their experience with the Revolution CT has been uniformly positive," said West Kendall Baptist Hospital CEO Javier Hernández-Lichtl.

"The advanced design definitely makes for a less intimidating, more comfortable patient experience, while yielding amazingly accurate and detailed images. The Revolution CT is truly revolutionary and we are pleased to have had early access to this technology."

In addition to providing doctors with high-resolution images, the most interesting thing about this CT scanner is the production of animated images, so you can watch a visualisation of your heart pumping right in front of you.

Here are some of the images produced by Revolution CT:

A 4D model of a pumping heart, with stents typically used to treat narrow or weak arteries
A 4D model of a pumping heart, with stents typically used to treat narrow or weak arteries GE Healthcare
A side view of the chest cavity, including the heart
A side view of the chest cavity, including the heart GE Healthcare
A 4D model of the skull and the circle of willis (circulus arteriosus cerebri), which supplies blood to the brain
A 4D model of the skull and the circle of willis (circulus arteriosus cerebri), which supplies blood to the brain GE Healthcare
An image showing the whole aorta (main artery in the human body) and the kidneys
An image showing the whole aorta (main artery in the human body) and the kidneys GE Healthcare
A 4D model showing the aorta (main artery in the human body) and the abdomen
A 4D model showing the aorta (main artery in the human body) and the abdomen GE Healthcare
A 4D model of the skull, showing the circle of willis (circulus arteriosus cerebri), which supplies blood to the brain
A 4D model of the skull, showing the circle of willis (circulus arteriosus cerebri), which supplies blood to the brain GE Healthcare
An image showing the pelvis and the aorta, the main artery in the human body
An image showing the pelvis and the aorta, the main artery in the human body GE Healthcare
A 4D model of a foot that has been reinforced with medical screws
A 4D model of a foot that has been reinforced with medical screws GE Healthcare