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 8
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.
Components in CT Scan Machine
GANTRY :
The gantry is the ring-shaped part of the CT scanner. It houses many of the
components necessary to produce and detect x-rays.
• Components are mounted on a rotating scan frame. Gantries vary in total size as
well as in the diameter of the opening, or aperture. The range of aperture size is
typically 70 to 90 cm.
• The CT gantry can be tilted either forward or backward as needed to accommodate
a variety of patients and examination protocols. The degree of tilt varies among
systems, but ±15° to ±30° is usual.
• The gantry also includes a laser light that is used to position the patient within the
scanner. Control panels located on either side of the gantry opening allow the
technologist to control the alignment lights, gantry tilt, and table movement.
• In most scanners, these functions may also be controlled via the operator’s
console. A microphone is embedded in the gantry to allow communication
between the patient and the technologist throughout the scan procedure.
Slip Rings :
Early CT scanners used recoiling system cables to rotate the gantry frame. This
design limited the scan method to the step-and-shoot mode and considerably limited
the gantry rotation times. Current systems use electromechanical devices called slip
rings. Slip rings use a brush like apparatus to provide continuous electrical power
and electronic communication across a rotating surface. They permit the gantry
frame to rotate continuously, eliminating the need to straighten twisted system
cables.
Generator:
High-frequency generators are currently used in CT. They are small enough so that
they can be located within the gantry.
The power capacity of the generator determines the range of exposure techniques
(i.e., kV and mA settings) available on a particular system.
CT generators produce high kV (generally 120–140 kV) to
increase the intensity of the beam, which will increase the
penetrating ability of the x-ray beam and thereby reduce patient
dose.
High kV settings also
help to reduce the heat
load on the x-ray tube
by allowing a lower mA
setting
Cooling Systems :
Cooling mechanisms are included in the gantry. They can take
different forms, such as blowers, filters, or devices that perform
oil-to-air heat exchange. Cooling mechanisms are important
because many imaging components can be affected by
temperature fluctuation.
X-ray Source:
X-ray tubes produce the x-ray photons that create the CT image.
Tungsten, with an atomic number of 74, is often used for the
anode target material because it produces a higher-intensity x-ray
beam.
•CT tubes often contain more than one
size of focal spot; 0.5 and 1.0 mm are
common sizes.
Filtration:
Compensating filters are used to shape the x-ray
beam. They reduce the radiation dose to the patient
and help to minimize image artifact.
• The long-wavelength x-rays are readily absorbed by the patient,
therefore they do not contribute to the CT image but do
contribute to the radiation dose to the patient. In addition,
creating a more uniform beam intensity improves the CT image
by reducing artifacts that result from beam hardening.
Collimation:
Collimators restrict the x-ray beam to a specific area, thereby
reducing scatter radiation.
• Collimators control the slice thickness by narrowing or widening the x-
ray beam.
• The source collimator is located near the x-ray source and limits the
amount of x-ray emerging to thin rib bones. Because it acts on the x-ray
beam before it passes through the patient it is sometimes referred to as
pre patient collimation.
• The source collimator affects patient dose and determines how
the dose is distributed across the slice thickness (i.e., dose
profile).
• Scanners vary in the choices of slice thickness available.
Choices range from 0.5 to 10 mm.
Detectors:
In CT, we use detectors to collect the information. The term
detector refers to a single element or a single type of detector
used in a CT system.
Specifically, the detector array comprises detector elements
situated in an arc or a ring, each of which measures the intensity
of transmitted x-ray radiation along a beam projected from the x-
ray source to that particular detector element.
• The scan field of view determines the size of the fan beam, which, in turn,
determines the number of detector elements that collect data.
• Detectors can be made from different substances.The optimal characteristics of a
detector are as follows:
• 1) high detector efficiency, defined as the ability of the detector to capture
transmitted photons and change them to electronic signals;
• 2) low, or no, afterglow, defined as a brief, persistent flash of scintillation that
must be taken into account and subtracted before image reconstruction.
3) high scatter suppression; and
4) high stability, which allows a system to be used without the interruption of
frequent calibration.
Patient Table:
• The patient lies on the table (or couch, as it is referred to by some manufacturers)
and is moved within the gantry for scanning. The process of moving the table by a
specified measure is most commonly called incrementation, but is also referred to
as feed, step, or index.
• Helical CT table incrementation is quantified in millimeters per second because
the table continues to move throughout the scan. The degree to which a table can
move horizontally is called the scannable range, and will determine the extent a
patient can be scanned without repositioning.
• Accurate table referencing helps to maintain consistency between examinations.
For example, if a lesion is seen on an image that is 50 mm inferior* to the xiphoid
landmark (zero point), the patient is removed from the gantry, and a ruler is used
to measure 50 mm inferior from the xiphoid. This point provides an
approximation of the location of the lesion.
• The first step in creating a CT image is to acquire data that result from the
attenuation of the x-ray beam as it passes through the patient to strike the detector.
The mechanisms housed within the gantry and the patient table are the
components necessary for data acquisition.
THE END
