Patent ID: RE40607

Claim:
A method for producing CT images of a patient's heart suitable for calcification scoring, the heart having a cardiac cycle; said method comprising the steps of: acquiring data representative of a first scout-scanned CT image of physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ 1 (L) of the cardiac cycle; acquiring data representative of a second scout-scanned CT image of the physical locations of the patient's body including at least a portion of the patient's heart at phases φ 2 (L) of the cardiac cycle different from φ 1 (L); and determining a difference image from the acquired data representative of the first scout-scanned CT image and the acquired data representative of the second scout-scanned CT image data . ; performing calcification scoring based on the difference image; and producing outputting at least one of a calcification score and CT images of the patient's heart based on the calcification scoring.