Principles Of Ultrasound Technology In Medical Imaging Of Non Ionization Images

The X-ray tube is one of the most important components in any X-ray system. In the beginning, physicists and physicians used gas ion tubes. The so-called Coolidge tube applied a high vacuum and is still used today. Medical examinations have required continuously improved designs of X-ray tubes (smaller focal spots at a higher output). The principle of the Goetze line focus is still applied in any diagnostic X-ray tube. Different anode materials and the rotating anode contributed to an increased output and reduced exposure time. Bearings needed special attention. Spiral groove bearings are the most advanced design today. The heat storage capacity of the anode and the tube housing assembly influences examination time and patient throughput. Cardiac imaging required less motion blurring in cine film images and increasing radiation exposure in interventional procedures called for measures to reduce dose. Protection against radiation and electric shock has always been a concern of design engineers. Focal spot sizes dedicated to specific applications and heat management within the total tube housing assembly will be future issues. Even with the event of ultrasound and MR technology, X-ray procedures will still be applied for diagnostic and interventional purposes.

Principles & Functions Of Conventional & Digital X-Rays Imaging Systems In Diagnosis

Digital radiography (DR) is an advanced form of x-ray inspection which produces a digital radiographic image instantly on a computer. This technique uses x-ray sensitive plates to capture data during object examination, which is immediately transferred to a computer without the use of an intermediate cassette. The incident x-ray radiation is converted into an equivalent electric charge and then to a digital image through a detector sensor. Compared to other imaging devices, flat panel detectors, also known as digital detector arrays (DDAs) provide high quality digital images. They can have better signal-to-noise ratio and improved dynamic range, which, in turn, provides high sensitivity for radiographic applications. Flat panel detectors work on two different approaches, namely, indirect conversion and direct conversion. Indirect conversion flat panel detectors have a scintillator layer which converts x-ray photons to photons of visible light and utilise a photo diode matrix of amorphous silicon to subsequently convert the light photons into an electrical charge. This charge is proportional to the number and energy of x-ray photons interacting with the detector pixel and therefore the amount and density of material that has absorbed the x-rays. Direct conversion flat panel detectors use a photo conductor like amorphous selenium (a-Se) or Cadmium telluride (Cd-Te) on a multi-micro electrode plate, providing the greatest sharpness and resolution. The information on both types of detectors is read by thin film transistors. In the direct conversion process, when x-ray photons impact over the photo conductor, like amorphous Selenium, they are directly converted to electronic signals which are amplified and digitised. As there is no scintillator, lateral spread of light photons is absent here, ensuring a sharper image. This differentiates it from indirect construction.

PRINCIPLES OF X-RAY TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICAL IMAGING AND IMPROVEMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL IMAGES (2nd Part)

Radioisotopes are unstable nuclei of elements (eg Molybdenum 99), which are transformed into stable nuclei while emitting radiation (particles, photons). This phenomenon is characterized as radioactivity. Radioactivity can be natural or artificial. Artificial radioactivity is that observed in isotopes produced artificially in a laboratory. The study of radioactive isotopes in combination with the development of systems for the detection of emitted radiation, was the trigger for the investigation of possible applications of radioisotopes in medicine. This research resulted in the creation of a new science, Nuclear Medicine, whose main purpose is to apply the properties of radioisotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.

PRINCIPLES OF X-RAY TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICAL IMAGING AND IMPROVEMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL IMAGES (1st Part)

The X-ray tube is one of the most important components in any X-ray system. In the beginning, physicists and physicians used gas ion tubes. The so-called Coolidge tube applied a high vacuum and is still used today. Medical examinations have required continuously improved designs of X-ray tubes (smaller focal spots at a higher output). The principle of the Goetze line focus is still applied in any diagnostic X-ray tube. Different anode materials and the rotating anode contributed to an increased output and reduced exposure time. Bearings needed special attention. Spiral groove bearings are the most advanced design today. The heat storage capacity of the anode and the tube housing assembly influences examination time and patient throughput. Cardiac imaging required less motion blurring in cine film images and increasing radiation exposure in interventional procedures calling for measures to reduce dose. Protection against radiation and electric shock has always been a concern of design engineers. Focal spot sizes dedicated to specific applications and heat management within the total tube housing assembly will be future issues. Even in the event of ultrasound and MR technology, X-ray procedures will still be applied for diagnostic and interventional purposes.