A CT scan uses a computer that takes data from several X-ray images of structures inside a human body and converts them into pictures on a monitor. CT stands for computerized tomography.
Tomography is the process of generating a 2-dimensional image of a slice or section through a 3-dimensional object. Similar to looking at one slice of bread within the whole loaf.
The CT scanner uses digital geometry processing to generate a 3-dimensional (3-D) image of the inside of an object. The 3-D image is made after many 2-dimensional (2-D) X-ray images are taken around a single axis of rotation – in other words, many pictures of the same area are taken from many angles and then placed together to produce a 3-D image.
A CT scanner emits a series of narrow beams through the human body as it moves through an arc, unlike an X-ray machine which sends just one radiation beam. The final picture is far more detailed than an X-ray one.
Inside the CT scanner there is an X-ray detector which can see hundreds of different levels of density. It can see tissues inside a solid organ. This data is transmitted to a computer, which builds up a 3-D cross-sectional picture of the part of the body and displays it on the screen.
CT is a very valuable imaging technique. CT scanning is useful to get a very detailed 3-D image of certain parts of the body, such as soft tissues, the pelvis, blood vessels, the lungs, the brain, abdomen, and bones.
It is often the preferred method of diagnosing many cancers, such as liver, lung, and pancreatic cancers. The image allows a doctor to confirm the presence of a tumor. The tumor’s size can be measured, plus its exact location, as well as to determine how much the tumor has affected nearby tissue.
To learn more about CT, view the video below.
Capitol Imaging Services offers CT at multiple locations. Our centers are accredited in CT by the American College of Radiology, meeting or exceeding their standards set for quality, patient safety, technology, reporting and expertise.Click here to make an online appointment request.
