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Lecture 7

This document provides an overview of computed tomography (CT) scanning, detailing its principles, types, clinical applications, and advantages over traditional radiography. It explains the technical aspects of CT imaging, including image quality evaluation criteria and the significance of Hounsfield units in quantifying tissue density. The lecture emphasizes the importance of CT scans in diagnosing diseases and planning treatments while addressing considerations such as radiation exposure.

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Muhammad Ali
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8 views20 pages

Lecture 7

This document provides an overview of computed tomography (CT) scanning, detailing its principles, types, clinical applications, and advantages over traditional radiography. It explains the technical aspects of CT imaging, including image quality evaluation criteria and the significance of Hounsfield units in quantifying tissue density. The lecture emphasizes the importance of CT scans in diagnosing diseases and planning treatments while addressing considerations such as radiation exposure.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging

Course Code: SHS 316


Instructor : Tehreem Zahra MSDU , BS RIT , CMT , DUSG

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND ULTRASONOGRAPHY


Introduction to CT Scan

Lecture no 7
Key Objectives of the Lecture on CT Scan
• Understand the fundamental principles of computed tomography (CT) scanning, including
the use of X-rays, detectors, and the concept of attenuation.
• Differentiate between various types of CT scans, such as contrast-enhanced CT, spiral CT,
and multidetector CT, and explain their clinical applications.
• Explain the clinical utility of CT scans in diagnosing diseases, assessing injuries, planning
treatments, and monitoring patient progress.
• Identify the advantages and limitations of CT scans, including considerations related to
radiation exposure and the use of contrast agents.
What is CT Scan?
The word tomography has as its root tomo, meaning to cut, section, or
layer from the Greek tomos (a cutting). In the case of CT, a sophisticated
computerized method is used to obtain data and transform them into
“cuts,” or cross-sectional slices of the human body.
Why we need CT Scan?
• Computed tomography (CT) overcomes the problem of overlying superimposed
tissues on the image and 2 D and 3D scanning by scanning thin sections of the
body with a narrow x-ray beam that rotates around the body, producing images of
each cross section.
• Another limitation of the conventional radiograph is its inability to distinguish
between two tissues with similar densities. The unique physics of CT allow for the
differentiation between tissues of similar densities.
• CT Scan not only provides the superior quality of the images but also has the
ability to show the differences in density of anatomic structures and
abnormalities.
CT image quality is typically evaluated using a number of criteria:
• Spatial resolution describes the ability of a system to define small objects
distinctly.
• Low-contrast resolution refers to the ability of a system to differentiate, on the
image, objects with similar densities.
• Temporal resolution refers to the speed that the data can be acquired. This speed
is particularly important to reduce or eliminate artifacts that result from object
motion, such as those commonly seen when imaging the heart.
The individual CT slice shows only the parts of the
anatomy imaged at a particular level. For example,
a scan taken at the level of the sternum would
show portions of lung, mediastinum, and ribs, but
would not show portions of the kidneys and
bladder.

Each CT slice represents a


specific plane in the
patient’s body. The
thickness of the plane is
referred to as the Z axis.
The Z axis determines the
thickness of the slices.
• The data that form the CT slice are further sectioned into elements:
width is indicated by X, while height is indicated by Y (Fig. 1-2). Each
one of these two-dimensional squares is a pixel (picture element). A
composite of thousands of pixels creates the CT image that displays on
the CT monitor. If the Z axis is taken into account, the result is a cube,
rather than a square. This cube is referred to as a voxel (volume
element).
• A matrix is the grid formed from the rows and columns of
pixels. In CT, the most common matrix size is 512. This size
translates to 512 rows of pixels down and 512 columns of pixels
across. The total number of pixels in a matrix is the product of
the number of rows and the number of columns, in this case 512
× 512 (262,144).
Polychromatic X Ray Beam

• All x-ray beam sources for CT and conventional radiography


produce x-ray energy that is polychromatic. That is, the x-ray
beam comprises photons with varying energies. The spectrum
ranges from x-ray photons that are weak to others that are
relatively strong.
• To the detectors, any x-ray photon that reaches the detector is
treated identically, whether it began with high or low energy.
• The amount of the x-ray beam that is scattered or absorbed per unit thickness
of the absorber is expressed by the linear attenuation coefficient, represented
by the Greek letter m. For example, if a 125-kVp x-ray beam is used, the
linear attenuation coefficient for water is approximately 0.18 cm−1 (the unit
cm−1 indicates per centimeter). This means that about 18% of the photons
are either absorbed or scattered when the x-ray beam passes through 1 cm of
water
• In CT, the x-ray beam passes through the patient’s body and is
recorded by the detectors. The computer then processes this
information to create the CT image. Photons that pass through
the body determine the shades of gray on the image and are
known as Hyper dense , Hpodense and isodense.
Hounsfield Units in CT Scan

• In CT, we are better able to quantify the beam attenuation


capability of a given object.
• Measurements are expressed in Hounsfield units (HU), named
after Godfrey Hounsfield, one of the pioneers in the
development of CT.
• These units are also referred to as CT numbers, or density
values
Hounsfield units quantify the
degree that a structure
attenuates an x-ray beam.
• The Hounsfield unit of naturally
occurring anatomic structures fall
within this range of 1000 to −1000.
• The Hounsfield unit value is directly
related to the linear attenuation
coefficient: 1 HU equals a 0.1%
difference between the linear
attenuation coefficient of the tissue as
compared with the linear attenuation
coefficient of water.
THE END

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