COMPUTED

TOMOGRAPHY
WHAT IS CT SCAN?
 is a medical imaging technique that uses computer-processed combinations
of multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles to produce
tomographic images of a body, allowing the user to see inside the body
without cutting.
 It uses a combination of X-rays and a computer to create pictures of your
organs, bones, and other tissues. It shows more detail than a regular X-ray.
 refers to a computerized x-ray imaging procedure in which a narrow beam of
x-rays is aimed at a patient and quickly rotated around the body, producing
signals that are processed by the machine’s computer to generate cross-
sectional images or “slices” of the body. These slices are called tomographic
images and contain more detailed information than conventional x-rays.
Brief history
1930’S – ALLESANDRO VALLEBONA
 Proposed a method to represent a single slice of the body on the radiographic film
(TOPOGRAPHY)
1970 – GODFREY NEWBOID HOUNSFIELD
 First demonstrated the CT technique
1972-1974
 First clinical CT scanners were installed
1979
 Hounsfield & Allan Mcleod Cormack shared the Nobel Prize in Physics
1980
 CT scan machine became widely available
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

 Creation of a cross-sectional tomographic section of the body with a

rotating fan beam, a detector array and computed reconstruction
Other Names: Computed Axial
Tomography (CAT), Computed Transaxial Tomography (CTAT), Computed,
Reconstruction Tomography (CRT), Digital Axial Tomography (DAT), Body
Section
 Roentgenography
Greek Word: “Tomos” = slice/section;
“Graphia” = describing
CT SCANNER
 Consists of an x-ray source emitting finely collimated x-ray beam and
a single detector both moving synchronously in a translate or
rotate mode or a combination of both
COMPUTERS
 Used Binary System
BINARY DIGIT/BIT
 Can code for 2 values or 2 shades of gray which correspond to white and black
 8 bits=1 byte
 2 bytes=1 word
 16 bits=1 word

STORAGE REQUIREMNENT
 Kilobytes, megabytes, gigabyte or terabytes
 PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
CONVENTIONAL/AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY
 Plane of the image is parallel to the long
axis of the body
 Produces sagittal and coronal images
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
 Plane of image is perpendicular to the long axis of the body produces a
transverse image
CT IMAGE
 A transaxial/transverse image
ALGORITHM
 Computer-adapted mathematical calculation applied to raw date during image
reconstruction

RECONSTRUCTION
 Creation of an image from date

RECONSTRUCTION TIME
 Time needed for the computer to present a digital image after an examination
has been computed. Time between the end of imaging and the appearance of an
image.