X-Rays
- the beam passes through the body and is absorbed - called ATTENUATION (high density=light colors, low density=dark)
- film is captured on the other side and is usually a 2D image but a CT makes a 3D image
effective dose
parameter of the dose absorbed by the entire body that takes account of differing sensitivities of different organs (Very sensitive ones don’t need a high dose)
CT
delivers detailed information fast for appropriate treatment decisions
GANTRY - the rotating frame with the x-ray on one side and the detector on the other. it rotates and takes thousands of sectional views that are put into a 3d picture
good for BLOOD VESSELS and ORGANS
sometimes, a special contrast agent is used that can help with attenuation of soft tissues
ultrasound
- sound waves
- can show movement in real time
- no ionizing radiation
- amplitude of sound and time taken for it to travel through the body produces the image
nuclear medicine
- uses small amount of radioactive material to diagnose and determine severity or treat diseases
- RADIOTRACERS are injected and you can trace it to find where the problem is
- very short half life
radioimmunotherapy
personalized cancer treatment that combines radiation therapy with targeting ability of immunotherapy
endoscopy
- examines digestive tract
- upper is passed through mouth to see esophagus, stomach, small intestine
- lower is passed through rectum to see large intestine
MRI
- uses magnetic field to produce images of all internal structures with no ionizing radiation
- attenuation isn’t a problem so you can look at soft tissues
image processing
study of an algorithm that takes an image and enhances it
