RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

CT-MRI TECHNOLOGIST
MAKATI MEDICAL CENTER INC.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY QUESTION AND ANSWER
"DO YOU BEST AND GOD WILL DO THE REST"
QUESTION ANSWER
The number of photons absorbed by the detector and dependent
Absorption Efficiency
on the physical properties of the detector face
Filters the x-ray beam to reduce the radiation to the patient and
Compensating Filters
help minimize image artifact and improve image quality
Computed Tomography Dose Index
Dose reported to the FDA
(CTDI)
Element in a CT system that collects attenuation information and
measures the intensity of the transmitted x-ray radiation along a
Detector
beam projected from the x-ray source to that particular detector
element
A direct plane is one that can be obtained by positioning the
Direct Axial Plane
patient in a specific position
A technique for expressing a waveform as a weighted sum of sines
Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)
and cosines
A technique of interpolating helical scan data for SDCT systems
360o Linear Interpolation
using the 360° linear interpolation
Process of moving the table by a specified measure Table Incrementation
An acute impairment of renal function that follows the
Contrast media-induced Nephropathy
intravascular administration of contrast material for which
(CIN)
alternative causes have been excluded
Scanner configuration that consists of a detector array and an x-ray
tube that produces a fan-shaped beam that covers the entire field of Third-generation Design
view and a detector array.
It is determined how rapidly data are acquired and is controlled by
gantry rotation speed, the number of detector channels in the
Temporal resolution
system, and the speed with which the system can record changing
signals.
When the table position is manually set at zero by the technologist Table Referencing
The difference between the measured CT number of a given tissue
System Noise
and the known value for that tissue
Low-voltage electrical contacts within the gantry designed to
allow continuous rotation of an x-ray tube without the use of Slip Rings
cables connecting internal and external components
Adaptive/
Detector rows that have variable widths and sizes Nonuniform/
Hybrid Array
Determines the extent a patient can be scanned without
Scannable range
repositioning
Size of the detector opening Detector Aperture
Entire collection of detectors included in a CT system Detector Array
Ability of a system to resolve, as separate forms, small objects that
MEYNARD Y. CASTRO,
are very close together. Also call RRT
high- contrast resolution or detail Spatial resolution
resolution
RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
Electromechanical devices that use a brushlike apparatus to
provide continuous electrical power and electronic communication
across a rotating surface, permitting the gantry frame to rotate Slip Rings
continuously, eliminating the need to straighten twisted system
cables
The leakage of fluid from a vein into the surrounding tissue during
Contrast Media Extravasation
IV contrast administration
Process used to generate three-dimensional images that show the Shaded-surface Display (SSD) or Surface
surface of a three-dimensional object Rendering
Early systems, which contained only a single row of detectors in
Single-detector Row CT (SDCT)
the z axis, obtained data for one slice with each rotation
The number of x-ray photons detected per pixel in CT Signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR)
The process requires a scan acquisition, needle placement, another
scan acquisition, adjustment of the needle, another scan
Sequential CT
acquisition, and so forth until the needle is confirmed to be in the
correct location
Factors that can be controlled by the operator and affect the
quality of the image produced (e.g. mA, scan time, slice thickness, Scan Parameters
FOV, reconstruction algorithm, and kVp)
Electronic component of CT scanner that measures remnant
radiation exiting the patient, converting the radiation to an analog Detector Assembly
signal proportionate to the radiation intensity measured
A brief, persistent flash of scintillation that must be taken into
Afterglow
account and subtracted before image reconstruction
The disadvantage of solid state detector over xenon gas detector Afterglow
Changes the digital signal from the computer memory back to an
Digital-to-analog Converters (DAC)
analog format so that the image can be displayed on the monitor
Measured from the middle of the one detector to the middle of the
Detector Spacing
neighboring detector
They result when wide slices are used as source images Stair-step Artifacts
Instructions that tell the computer what to do and when to do it Software
Ability of the detector to capture transmitted photons and change
Detector Efficiency
them to electronic signals
Artifacts that relate to the cone-shaped beam required for MDCT
Cone beam artifact
helical
Method of acquiring slices in which one slice abuts the next Continuous
Ability of the system to differentiate between objects with similar Contrast detectability or low-contrast
densities resolution
Included in the detector array and help to calibrate data and reduce
Reference Detectors
artifacts
Determines how the data are filtered in the reconstruction process Reconstruction Algorithm
Table movement per rotation divided by the selected slice
Detector Pitch
thickness of the detector
The section of data selected for display on the image Display Field of View (DFOV)
Process of creating a digital image from raw data Reconstruction
Processing of using the same raw data to later generate a new
Retrospective Reconstruction
image
Output device that allows the information stored in computer Display Monitors

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
memory to be displayed
Mathematic formula designed for computers to carry out complex
Algorithm
calculations required for image reconstruction
A designed for enhancement of soft tissue, bone, and edge
Algorithm
resolution
Time required for the signal from the detector to return to zero
after stimulation of the detector by x-ray radiation so that it is Response Time
ready to detect another x-ray event
All measurements obtained from the detector array and sitting in
Raw data or scan data
the computer waiting to be made into an image
Type of computer memory that includes instructions that are
Random Access Memory (RAM)
frequently changed, such as the data used to reconstruct images
Instructions for CT examination specifying slice thickness, table
increments, contrast administration, scan diameter, and any other Protocol
requirements specified by the radiologist
CT component that assigns a group of Hounsfield units to each
Display Processor
shade of gray
Image reconstruction that is automatically produced during
Prospective Reconstruction
scanning
It converts the analog signal to a digital format Analog-to-digital Converter (ACD)
The absolute center of the gantry Isocenter
One of the oldest data storage options used to record computer
Magnetic Tape
data
Objects seen on the image but not present in the object scanned Artifacts
It is often used to graphically represent a system’s capability of
Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
passing information to the observer
Ratio of the maximum signal measured to the minimum signal the
Dynamic Range
detectors can measure
The first phase of enchancement typically occurring 15-25
Hepatic Arterial Phase
seconds after the IV administration of a bolus of contrast material
Scanning method that includes a continually rotating x-ray tube, Helical, Spiral, Volumetric or Continuous
constant x-ray output, and uninterrupted table movement Acquisition Scanning
The displayed contrast of an image is dependent on the window
Displayed Contrast
settings used for its display
More closely reflects the radiation dose for a specific CT
examination and its value is affected by variances in patient Dose-length Product (DLP)
anatomy
Artifact that results from insufficient projection data and appears
Aliasing artifact
as fine stripes radiating from a dense structure
Anything appearing on the image that is not present in the object
Image artifacts
scanned
Ability of a system to resolve, as separate forms, small objects that High Contrast Resolution or
are very close together. Spatial or detail resolution
Arbitrary number assigned by computer to indicate relative Hounsfield Units (HU) or Pixel Values,
density of a given tissue Density Numbers or CT Numbers
Information that appears on images that includes facility name,
patient name, identification number, date, slice number and
Image Annotation
thickness, pitch, table location, measurement scale, gray scale, and
right and left indicators
MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT
RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
These artifacts can best be avoided by using a low pitch whenever
Helical Interpolation Artifacts
possible
Result in subtle inaccuracies in CT numbers and can be easily
Helical Interpolation Artifacts
misinterpreted as disease
Process by which raw data are obtained by continuous scanning Dynamic Scanning
Analog image whereby each pixel in the image corresponds to a
Gray-scale Image
particular shade of gray
System that assigns a certain number of Hounsfield values to each
Gray Scale
shade of gray
Complex statistical methods to, in effect, take the slant and blur
out of the helical image and create images that closely resemble Helical Interpolation Methods
those acquired in a traditional axial mode
The last phase of tissue enhancement after the IV injection of
Equilibrium/ Delayed Phase
contrast media
The phase of renal enhancement that follows nephrogram phase
that typically occurs approximately 3 minutes after the IV
Excretory Phase
administration of a bolus of contrast material and can last 15
minutes or longer
A method to study waves of many different sorts and also to solve
Fourier Transform (FT)
several kinds if linear differential equations
Streak artifact or shading (both light and dark) arising from
irregularly shaped objects that have a pronounced difference in Edge Gradient Effect
density from surrounding structures
Use of volumetric CT scanning with spiral technique to acquire
image data that are reconstructed into three-dimensional CT CT Angiography
angiograms
Distortion or error in image that is unrelated to subject being
Artifacts
studied
The detector senses each arriving ray and senses how much of the
Ray sum
beam was attenuated
The path that the x-ray beam takes from the tube to the detector Ray
Total dose is the central slice radiation dose, plus the scatter
Multiple Scan Average Dose (MSAD)
overlap (or tails); dose calculated from multiple scans
Postprocessing technique applied to stacks of axial image data that
Multiplanar Reformation (MPR)
can then be reconstructed into other orientations or imaging plane
A technique of interpolating helical scan data for SDCT systems
180o Linear Interpolation
using 180° linear interpolation
Ancillary pieces of computer hardware designed to accept
processed data from the computer (e.g. monitor, laser camera,
Output Device
printer, and archiving equipment (e.g. optical discs or magnetic
tape)
Scanner design in which there are many parallel rows of detectors Multidetector Row CT (MDCT)
Preliminary image of a CT examination that is used to plan the Localizer Scans, Scout, Topogram,
range of the scan depending on the vendor Scanogram or Pilot
Ability of a CT scanner to demonstrate different tissue densities Contrast Resolution
Amount of the x-ray beam that is scattered or absorbed per unit
Linear Attenuation Coefficient (µ)
thickness of the absorber
Specific area within the SFOV that will be dis- played on the
Image Center
center of the image
MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT
RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
Image distortion caused by combination of table indexing and
Image Misregistration
respiration
When the displayed image is made larger. Uses only image data
Image Magnification
and does not improve resolution
Image data are used to stacked cross-sectional slices and generate
Image Reformation/
an image in a plane or orientation different from the prospective
Rendering
image
CT number assigned to measured remnant radiation intensity after
Attenuation Coefficient
attenuation by tissue density
The resolution in the z direction Longitudinal Resolution
The system accounts for the attenuation properties of each ray sum Attenuation
and correlates it to the position of the ray Profile
The simplest type of a mathematical method of estimating the
value of an unknown function using the known value on either Linear Interpolation
side of the function
Process of applying a filter function to an attenuation profile Convolution
Pharmaceuticals used to reduce motion artifact on cardiac CTA
β-blockers
images by temporarily lowering a patient's heart rate
3D technique that selects voxels with the highest value to display Maximum-intensity Projection (MIP)
Mechanical hardware that resembles small shutters and adjusts the
Collimator
opening based on the operator's selection
CT techniques that attempt to minimize cardiac motion in the
study by selecting or acquiring images during cardiac segments Cardiac Gating
with relatively low cardiac motion
CT design that uses two sets of x-ray tubes and two corresponding
Dual Source
detector arrays in a single CT gantry
Grid formed from the rows and columns of pixels Matrix
3D technique that selects voxels with the lowest value to display Minimum-intensity Projection (MinIP)
It is often used to graphically represent a system’s capability of
Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
passing information to the observer
The radiation emitted from the collimated x-ray source in single-
Fan Beam
detector row CT systems
These artifacts occur because the anatomy outside the SFOV
attenuates and hardens the x-ray beam, but is ignored in the image Out-of-field artifacts
reconstruction process
Process by which different tissue attenuation values are averaged
Partial Volume Effect
to produce one less accurate pixel reading
Artifact that can result when an object does not appear on all
Partial Volume Artifact
views
Area of anatomy displayed by the cathode ray tube Field of View (FOV)
This encompasses a broad range of technologies necessary for the Picture Archive and Communication
storage, retrieval, distribution, and display of images System (PACS)
Specialized reconstruction techniques that are applied to CT image
Postprocessing Techniques
to display the anatomic structures from different perspectives
Applied to the scan data before back projection occurs to
Filter Functions
minimize artifacts
Most commonly used method of describing spatial resolution
Modulation Transfer Function (MTF)
ability

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
Saving studies on auxiliary devices for the purpose of future
Archiving
viewing
Scanner configuration that uses a detector array that is fixed in a
Fourth Generation Design
360o circle within the gantry
Process by which computer-reconstructed transverse (or axial)
image of a patient is created by an x-ray tube and detector Computed Tomography
assembly rotating 360 degrees about a specified area of the body
Image noise resulting from the scatting of x-ray photons by
Crosstalk
adjacent detectors
Limit the x-ray beam before it passes through the patient Prepatient Collimators
Ring-shaped part of the CT scanner that houses many of the
Gantry
components necessary to produce and detect x-rays
Shape the beam and are located below the patient and above the
Predetector Collimators
detector array
The most commonly used matrix size 512 x 512
Opening of the gantry through which patient passes during scan Gantry Aperture
Artifacts that results from lower energy photons being
Beam Hardening Artifacts
preferentially absorbed, leaving higher intensity
Mechanism that determines the quantity of Hounsfield units
Window Width
represented as shades of gray on a specific image
It controls the overall gray level and affects image contrast Window Width
Mechanism that selects the center CT value of the window width Window Center/Level
Phenomenon by which an x-ray beam passing through a structure
Beam
is decrease in intensity or amount because of absorption and
Attenuation
interaction with matter
It controls subtle gray images within a certain width range and
Window Center/Level
ultimately affects the brightness and overall density of an image
With digital technology, the image is not as directly linked to the
dose, so even when an mA or kVp setting that is too high is used, Uncoupling Effect
a good image results
This effect can make it difficult to identify when a dose that is
Uncoupling Effect
higher than necessary is used
Description of significant levels of technologic development of
Generation
CT scanners
CT technique used to visualize the arterial and venous vessels
CT Angiography
throughout the body
Undesired surge of electrical current (e.g. a short- circuit) within
Tube Arcing
the x-ray tube
System that assigns a certain number of Hounsfield values to each
Gray Scale
shade of gray
Artifact that results from beam hardening Cupping Artifact
A picture element or two-dimensional square of data Pixel
The travel distance of the CT scan table per 360° rotation of the x-
Pitch
ray tube divided by the x-ray beam collimation width
A measure of exposure per slice and is independent of scan length CTDIvol
The preferred expression of radiation dose in CT dosimetry CTDIvol
Part of detector assembly that converts analog signals to digital
Data-acquisition System (DAS)
signals that can be used by the CT computer

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018
Scans produced result in images that are perpendicular to the z Axial/
axis or tabletop and parallel to every other slice Step-and-Shoot Scanning
It uses a large electron gun as its x-ray beam source Electron Beam Imaging
Analog image whereby each pixel in the image corresponds to a
Gray-scale Image
particular shade of gray
This adjusts for variation across the scan field of view by
providing a weighted average of measurement at the center and
CTDIw
the peripheral slice locations (e.g. the x and y dimensions of the
slice)
Table movement per rotation divided by beam width Beam Pitch
Unit of information storage composed of 8 bits of data Bytes
Ability with which the detector obtains photons that have passed Capture
through the patient Efficiency
Result when the CTDI is measured using a pencil ionization
chamber, a 100-mm long thin cylindrical device, which is long CTDI100
enough to span the width of 14 contiguous 7-mm CT slices
Process of converting data from attenuation profile to a matrix Back Projection
Phantoms used to measure the radiation dose delivered for various
CTDI Phantoms
CT examinations
An equipment option that will make changes in tube current (mA)
Automated Tube Current
based on the estimated attenuation of the patient at a specific
Modulation
location
Mechanical filter that removes soft, or low-energy x-ray beams,
minimizing patient exposure and providing a more uniform beam Bow Tie Filters
intensity
A rapid injection of contrast material that can be delivered by hand
Bolus Injection Technique
(using syringes) or by a mechanical injection system
Scan method in which the CT table moves to the desired location
Axial/
and remains stationary while the x-ray tube rotates within the
Step-and-Shoot Scanning
gantry, collecting data

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

CT-MRI TECHNOLOGIST
MAKATI MEDICAL CENTER INC.
MAY 31, 2018

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT

RADIOLOGIC SCIENCES FUTURE RRT REVIEWERS 2018

MEYNARD Y. CASTRO, RRT