COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
• Computed tomography (CT), also known as computed axial tomography
(CAT) is the imaging modality which uses a narrow x-ray beam to study the
internal structure of the organ by scanning thin sections or slices of the
body organ.
HISTORY OF CT:
• The first CT scanner was developed in 1972 by Godfrey Hounsfield of
EMI,UK , who is considered as the father of computed tomography.
• CT was introduced into clinical practice into 1971 with a scan of a cystic
frontal lobe tumour on a patient at Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon
(United Kingdom).
• Alan Comark (USA) developed the mathematical algorithm used to
reconstruct the CT image.
• The invention of CT scanner earned Sir Godfrey Hounsfield and Alan
Comark the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1979.
BASIC PRINCIPLE:
• The fundamental concept is that the internal structure of an object can be
reconstructed from multiple projections.
• An X-ray tube emitting a narrow beam from a small focus is coupled
to a radiation detector. These two are moved together on a carriage,
so that a plane of interest is scanned.
• The detector adds up energy of all the transmitted photons and computer
processes the sum of data from multiple rays to reconstruct the image.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF CT:
(i) images are cross sectional which eliminates the superimposition of
structures.
ii) not influenced by the properties of the neighbouring region.
(iii) Subtle differences in X-ray attenuation is 10 times higher than
radiographic image, due to scatter elimination.
(iv)The minimum contrast in radiography is 2%, whereas it is 0.1–0.3% in CT
scan.
BASIC TERMINOLOG IN CT:
• Translation: the linear movement of X-ray tube and detector.
• Rotation: the rotary movement of X-ray tube and detector.
• Ray: single transmission measurement
• Projection: series of rays that passes through the patient at the same
orientation.
• There are two projections, namely, (i) parallel beam geometry and (ii) fan
beam geometry.
• Human body is imagined as a matrix and is divided into number of columns
and rows. In general, 512 or 1024 columns and rows are used. Each matrix
element is named as picture element (pixel) in a 2-dimensional (2D)
concept. Volume element (voxel) represents a volume of tissue in the
patient and it is a three dimensional (3D) concept. Each pixel on the
monitor display represents a voxel in the patient.
• The field of view (FOV) is the diameter of the area being seen by the X-ray
at the isocenter.
WHERE CAN CT BE HELPFUL:
• CT scans can be used to identify disease or injury within various regions of
the body. For example, CT has become a useful screening tool for detecting
possible tumours or lesions within the abdomen. A CT scan of the heart may
be ordered when various types of heart disease or abnormalities are
suspected. CT can also be used to image the head in order to locate injuries,
tumours, clots leading to stroke, haemorrhage, and other conditions. It can
image the lungs in order to reveal the presence of tumours, pulmonary
embolisms (blood clots), excess fluid, and other conditions such as
emphysema or pneumonia. A CT scan is particularly useful when imaging
complex bone fractures, severely eroded joints, or bone tumours since it
usually produces more detail than would be possible with a conventional x-
ray.
