Conventional Tomography

Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah

Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah 1

Definition:
• A special type of imaging used to
obtain a diagnostic image of a specific
layer of tissue that superimposed by
other tissues this obtained by a moving
source image receptor assembly.

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• Tomo = layer or section.
• A conventional tomograph is an image
of section of the patient that is oriented
parallel to the film.

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Limitation of Conventional Radiography:
• Superimposition.

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• Superimposition in conventional
radiograph can be somewhat
overcome.
• Poor contrast resolution.

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Conventional Tomography Blurring:
• Image produced on film.
• Objects above or below pivot plane
change position on film & thus blur.

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• Only "B"(fulcrum) remains in same position on
the IR.
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• Tomogram at the level of the kidneys ‘remove’
overlying bowel loops from view. Note that the
spine is also blurred. A calculus is clearly seen in
the right renal pelvis (arrow).
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Tomographic Blurring:
• Blurring improved by use of complex
motions.

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Tomography limitations:
• Motion blurr.

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Computed Tomography

Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah 13

• The computed tomographic (CT)
scanner is revolutionary.
• It does not use an ordinary image
receptor, but instead a well-collimated x-
ray beam directed on the patient, and the
attenuated image response is transmitted
to a computer.

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• In 1972 Godfrey N. Hounsfield and
colleagues built the first CAT scan
machine, taking Cormack's theoretical
calculation into a real application.

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Principles of use:
• The collimated x-ray beam is directed
to the patient.
• The attenuated image-forming x-ray
beam is measured by a detector array.

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• The signal from the detector array is
measured by a computer.
• The image is reconstructed in the
computer.
• The image is displayed on a TV monitor.
• CT makes transverse images (axial
images).

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• The internal structures of the body
attenuate the x-ray beam according to
their mass density and atomic number.
• All data are processed in digital form.
• The resulting computer image is an
electronic matrix of intensities.

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• Matrix size is generally 512x512
individual cells or pixels.
• In each pixel is numerical information
called a CT number or HU.
• HU:
 -1000 = air.
 0 = water.
 1000 = dense bone.

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• The pixel is a two-dimensional
representation of a corresponding tissue
volume.
• The voxel (volume element) is determined
by multiplying the square of the pixel size
by the thickness of the CT scan slice.

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 System components

• The gantry.
• The computer.
• The operating console.

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The gantry:

• Includes the x-ray tube, the detector

array, the high-voltage generator, the
patient support couch and the
mechanical support for each.

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X-ray tube:

• It has special requirements. The

power capacity must be high. The anode
heating capacity must be at least several
million heat units (MHU).

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• High speed rotors are used in most
tubes for the best heat dissipation.
• Focal-spot size is important. CT
scanners designed for imaging using
high spatial resolution incorporate x-
ray tubes with small focus-spot.

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Detector assembly:

• Early scanners had one detector.

Modern scanners have up to 8000.
• Divided into two groups:
 Scintillation detectors.
 Gas-filled detectors.

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Collimators:

• Required for the same reason as

Conventional x-ray.
• Correct collimation reduces patient dose
and improves image quality due to less
scattered radiation.

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• In CT there are normally two
collimators:
1. The prepatient collimator:
 On the x-ray tube housing/ adjacent to it.
 It limits the area of the patient that
intercepts the useful beam and thereby the
slice thickness and the patient dose.

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2. The predetector collimator:
 Located under the patient, over the
detector array.
 Reduces scatter radiation improves
image quality.

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High-voltage generator:

• All CT scanners operate on three-phase

or high-frequency power.
• Most manufactures built them into the
gantry or by mounting on the rotating
wheel of the gantry. It reduces the amount
of space needed, and winding and
unwinding a power cable is unnecessary.

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Patient positioning and support couch:

• It has to be made of a material with a

low atomic number (Carbon fiber) so that
is does not interfere with x-ray beam
transmission and patient imaging.

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• It should move smoothly for accurate
patient positioning, and is especially
important for spiral CT.

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Computer:

• It is unique for the CT and a must! A

ultra-high speed digital computer is needed
for making CT images.
• Depending on the format the computer
has to do up to 250 000 equations at the
same time!

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• In the computer there is a
microprocessor and a primary memory.
These determine the reconstruction
time= the time from end of scanning to
image appearance.
• Array processors are becoming more
common. They are faster than the
microprocessor and can reconstruct an
image in less than 1 s.

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Operating console:

• Many CT scanners have 2 or 3 consoles.

• One for the CT radiologic technologist
to operate the scanner.
• One for another technologist to post
process images.

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• One for the physician to view the
image, manipulate contrast, size and
general visual appearance.
• A typical operating console contains
controls and monitors for the various
technique factors.

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 Phases of CT imaging

• Scanning the patient.

• Data Acquisition.
• Image reconstruction.
• Image Display.
• Image archival (recording).

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The different generations of CT

• 1st generation.
 Translate-rotate, pencil beam.
• 2nd generation.
 Translate-rotate, fan beam.
• 3rd generation.
 Rotate-rotate, fan beam.

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• 4th generation.
 Rotate-stationary, wide fan.
• 5th generation.
 Fixed array of detectors.
• 6th generation.
 Patient moved during scan.
• 7th generation.
 Multislice CT.

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