Computed tomography scans, often called cat-scans, build up a picture of the internal organs of the body by taking X-rays of thin slices of tissue, which are then converted by computer into a 3D representation. The process is widely used to detect bleeding or tissue changes or to screen for conditions like colon cancer. It can also be used in real time to help guide a needle, for example, when taking a biopsy of brain tissue.

The new scanners, the university said, are more accurate and faster, which means they will be able to perform scans of the heart. Until recently, that was a problem because the organ never stays still, and the resulting images were often unusable.

The new scanners also emit a fraction of the radiation emitted by older scanners and allow the dose to be adjusted according to the patient.