With the latest Siemens computer tomograph, Heart View CT, doctors can virtually freeze the heart between beats and, thus, detect the smallest deposits in blood vessels or other early warning signs for a cardiac infarction. For prophylaxis, the special imaging methods and biochips could also be used to track the smallest disorder symptom to the molecular level. As a result, diseases such as cancer can be detected years earlier than they are now and, consequently, the chances for recovery are much higher. The newly developed virtual coloscopy facilitates intestinal cancer prevention. A computer-animated journey through the large intestine without an endoscope spares the patient from the unpleasant conventional procedure. Another example of improved cancer screening is the digital mammography, which promises fast and reliable diagnoses. The pictures are available immediately after the examination and can be evaluated and processed by the doctor directly on the computer screen or forwarded with a mouse click. A 4-D ultrasound method is almost ready for the medical market. The method shows moving, spatial 3-D images of the body interior: expectant mothers can follow the movements of the baby in their bodies.
