Conventional coronary angiography requires cardiac catheterization to inject an iodine contrast agent. If dual-energy digital subtraction angiography could be performed in clinical practice using intravenous iodine injections, patient risk could be substantially reduced. Additionally, x-ray exposure of the angiographer and other technical personnel during the catheter manipulation/placement would be eliminated. This project would evaluate combining two newly developed capabilities to achieve such a dual-energy angiography system. Science Research Laboratory (SRL) has constructed a compact high-flux characteristic-line dual-energy source which is effective except for an unacceptable high energy continuum. Recent advances in Kumakhov optics utilizing x-ray capillary optics have demonstrated the ability to focus x-ray beams and to filter out high-energy photons. The expected result: a complete system would sequentially provide two very narrow spectra beams which bound the iodine K-edge for use in dual-energy digital subraction angiography. The researcher and collaborators involved are those most responsible for inventing and developing the Kumakhov lens and SRL source technology.
