COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCAN

(CT SCAN)
CONTENTS
1. What is CT scan? 9. How Is a CT scan Performed?

2. History 10. What Do You Mean by CT scan Results?

3. Why Is a CT scan performed? 11. CT scan of Brain. Neck, Chest, Abdomen and Bone

4. Parts of CT scan machine 12. Advantages

5. Types of CT scans 13. Disadvantages

6. Principle 14. Artifacts

7. CT Number 15. Hazards

8. Generation 16. References

WHAT IS CT SCAN?
 A computerized tomography scan (CT scan) uses computers and rotating X-ray machines to create
cross-sectional images of the body. These images provide more detailed information than normal X-ray
images. They can show the soft tissues, blood vessels, and bones in various parts of the body. A CT
scan may be used to visualize the:
 head
 shoulders
 spine
 heart
 abdomen
 knee
 chest
 During a CT scan, you lie in a tunnel-like machine while the inside of the
machine rotates and takes a series of X-rays from different angles. These
pictures are then sent to a computer, where they’re combined to create
images of slices, or cross-sections, of the body. They may also be
combined to produce a 3-D image of a particular area of the body.
HISTORY

 The first commercially viable CT scanner was invented by Godfrey Newbold

Hounsfield in Hayes, England at Thorn EMI Central Research Laboratories using X-
rays.
 Hounsfield conceived his idea in 1967, and it was publicly announced in 1972.
 It is claimed that the CT scanner was "the greatest legacy" of the Beatles; the massive
profits from their record sales enabled EMI to fund scientific research.
 Allan McLeod Cormack of Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA independently
invented a similar process and they shared a Nobel Prize in medicine in 1979.
Allan McLeod Cormack Godfrey Hounsfield
INITIAL SKETCH OF CT SCAN MACHINE BY HOUNSFIELD
FIRST MODEL OF CT MACHINE BY HOUNSFIELD
WHY IS A CT SCAN PERFORMED?

A CT scan has many uses, but it’s particularly well-suited for diagnosing diseases and evaluating injuries.
The imaging technique can help your doctor:
 diagnose infections, muscle disorders, and bone fractures
 pinpoint the location of masses and tumors (including cancer)
 study the blood vessels and other internal structures
 assess the extent of internal injuries and internal bleeding
 guide procedures, such as surgeries and biopsies
 monitor the effectiveness of treatments for certain medical conditions, including cancer and heart
disease
PARTS OF CT SCAN MACHINE
 Gantry (scanner system)
 Patient's table
 Computer(operation control)
PARTS OF SCANNER

Scanner includes,
 X ray tube
 Detector system
 Collimators
 Filters
PARTS OF GANTRY

 X-ray tube: It generates x-ray beams.

 Detector: It detects the x-rays passing through the patient's body.
 Collimator: It narrows the beams of x-rays.
 Filters: These are used to filter some rays from entering the patient's
body that may be harmful.
PRINCIPLE
PRINCIPLE

 When X-rays pass through the human body, some of the rays are absorbed and some
pass through the body to produce an image.
 In plain X-ray imaging, the film directly absorbs penetrated X-rays.
 In CAT scanning, an electronic device called a "detector array“ absorbs the
penetrated X-rays, measures the X-ray amount, and transmits the data to a computer
system.
 A sophisticated computer system, in turn, calculates and analyzes data from each
detector in each level, and finally reconstructs multiple, two dimensional, cross-
sectional images.
TYPES OF CT SCANS

There are widely 2 types of CT scans:

 Conventional scan is taken slice by slice and after slice the scan stops.
Example, from top of abdomen till the pelvis. This needs the patient to hold their
breath.
 Spiral scan: continuous scan taken in spiral fashion. It is quick.
CT NUMBER

 Displayed on screen in terms of Hounsfield scale( linear transformation reference

being distilled water) which ranges from +1000(bone) to -1000(air/gas)
 Ct number or Hounsfield scale is a measure of radiodensity.
 Ct number measured in Hounsfield unit.
CT Number of different tissues
GENERATION
Generation Configuration Detector Beam Min Scan Time

First Translate-rotate 1-2 Pencil Thin 2.5min

Second Translate-rotate 3-52 Narrow Fan 10sec

Third Rotate-rotate 256-1000 Wide fan 0.5sec

Fourth Rotate-fixed 600-4800 Wide fan 1sec

Fifth Electron beam 1284 Wide fan 33ns

Electron Beam
FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION

 In the first and second generation designs, the X-ray beam was not wide enough to
cover the entire width of the 'slice' of interest.
 A mechanical arrangement was required to move the X-ray source and detector
horizontally across the field of view.
 After a sweep, the source/detector assembly would be rotated a few degrees, and
another sweep performed.
 This process would be repeated until 360 degrees (or 180 degrees) had been
covered. The complex motion placed a limit on the minimum scan time at
approximately 20 seconds per image.
THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION

 In the 3rd and 4th generation designs, the X-ray beam is able to cover the entire field of view of the
scanner. This avoids the need for any horizontal motion; an entire 'line' can be captured in an instant.
 This allowed simplification of the motion to rotation of the X-ray source.
 Third and fourth generation designs differ in the arrangement of the detectors.
 In 3rd generation, the detector array is as wide as the beam, and must therefore rotate as the source
rotates.
 In 4th generation, an entire ring of stationary detectors are used.
HOW IS A CT SCAN PERFORMED?

 Your doctor may give you a special dye called a contrast material to help internal structures show up
more clearly on the X-ray images.
 The contrast material blocks X-rays and appears white on the images, allowing it to highlight the
intestines, blood vessels, or other structures in the area being examined.
 Depending on the part of your body that’s being inspected, you may need to drink a liquid containing
the contrast.
 Alternatively, the contrast may need to be injected into your arm or administered through your
rectum via an enema.
 If your doctor plans on using a contrast material, they may ask you to fast for four to six hours before
your CT scan.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CT SCAN RESULTS ?

 CT scan results are considered normal if the radiologist don’t see any tumors, blood
clots, fractures, or other abnormalities in the images.
 If any abnormalities are detected during the CT scan, you may need further tests or
treatments, depending on the type of abnormality found.
CT SCAN OF BRAIN

Uses :
 Evaluate acute cranial-facial trauma
 Determine acute stroke
 Evaluate suspected intracranial hemorrhage
 Evaluate headache
 Determine if there is abnormal development of the head and neck
 Tumours , clots
CT SCAN IMAGES OF BRAIN
CT SCAN OF NECK

Uses :
 Spine, airway ,carotid vessels, salivary and thyroid glands are included.
 To evaluate parotid or submandibular gland lesions or infections.
 Head and neck diseases
 Foreign bodies that are logged in the neck or upper airway
 Tumours or infections of pharynx vocal cord.
CT SCAN IMAGES OF NECK
CT SCAN OF CHEST

Uses:
 Show the size, shape, and position of lungs and other structures in the chest.
 Follow up on abnormal findings from standard chest x rays.
 Find the cause of lung symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pain.
 Diagnose lung diseases such as a tumor, excess fluid around the lungs, or a pulmonary
embolism. The test also is used to check for tuberculosis , emphysema and
pneumonia
CT SCAN IMAGES OF CHEST
CT SCAN OF ABDOMEN

Uses:
 To test abdominal pain or swelling
 Masses and tumours including cancer
 Injury or infections
 Kidney stones
 Appendicitis
 Alcoholic liver diseases
 Cancer of pancreas, colon, renal pelvis.
 Peritoneal fibrosis
CT SCAN IMAGES OF ABDOMEN
CT SCAN OF BONES

Uses:
 To diagnose osteoporosis, which is common in women after menopause
and also may occur in men
 To evaluate fracture
 To detect unusual formation of bone
 To diagnose joint abnormalities.
CT SCAN IMAGES OF BONE
ADVANTAGES

 Quick and painless

 Can help diagnose and guide treatment for a wider range of conditions than plain X-
rays.
 Can detect the presence of more serious problems.
 Check if a previously treated disease has recurred.
 No superimposition of Images.
ARTIFACTS

 Although CT is a relatively accurate test, it is liable to produce artifacts, such as the

following:
1.) Aliasing Artifact or Streaks:
 It occurs because it is impossible for the scanner to 'sample' or take enough
projections of the object, which is usually metallic.
 It can also occur when an insufficient penetration of the x-ray occurs.
2.) Ring Artifact:
 Probably the most common mechanical artifact, the image of one or many 'rings'
appears within an image.
 This is due to a detector fault.
3.) Noise Artifact:
 This appears as gaining on the image and is caused by a low signal to noise ratio. This
occurs more commonly when a thin slice thickness is used. It can also occur when
the kV or mA is too low.
4.) Motion Artifact:
 This is seen as blurring which is caused by patient movement.
 This is not so much a problem these days with faster scanning times in the use of
MDCT.
5.) Beam Hardening:
 This can give a 'cupped appearance'.
 It occurs when there is more attenuation in the center of the object than around the
edge. This is easily corrected by filtration .
HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CT SCANS

 Radiation exposure during pregnancy may lead to birth defects.

 Certain patients may experience severe life-threatening allergic reactions to the
contrast dye.
 The contrast agent may also induce kidney damage. The risk of this is increased with
patients who have preexisting renal insufficiency, preexisting diabetes, or reduced
intravascular volume.
REFERENCES

 "CT Screening" (PDF). hps.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October
2016. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
 Brenner DJ, Hall EJ (November 2007). "Computed tomography – an increasing
source of radiation exposure" (PDF). N. Engl. J. Med. 357 (22): 2277–
84. doi:10.1056/NEJMra072149.PMID 18046031.Archived (PDF) from the original on
2016-03-04.
 The Measurement, Reporting, and Management of Radiation Dose in CT Archived
2017-06-23 at the Wayback Machine. "It is a single dose parameter that reflects the
risk of a non uniform exposure in terms of an equivalent whole-body exposure."
BY:
KANDARP KAUSHIK
116BM0007
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
NIT ROURKELA