Three-dimensional imaging of heart, lungs, and circulation.

A new imaging device, the dynamic spatial reconstructor (DSR), is described. It differs from commercially available computed tomography scanners in several ways. It images a volume rather than a slice; it images the volume in stop-action to minimize blurring due to motion; and it repeats the scan 60 times per second so that the functional movements of heart muscle and lung tissue and the distribution of roentgen contrast medium in blood can be quantitated in any portion of the body, especially in the heart, great vessels, and lungs. The system is under evaluation as a research tool for physiologic and, ultimately, clinical investigations.