Iodinated contrast agents are frequently used in CT scans to increase the visibility of blood vessels and soft tissues due to their high X-ray attenuation properties.
The CT table indexing feature allows controlled movement of the patient through the gantry, ensuring that the entire region of interest is imaged.
Helical CT, also known as spiral CT, is particularly useful for visualizing blood vessels due to its continuous acquisition and high contrast resolution.
The partial volume effect occurs when a voxel contains a mix of materials with different attenuation coefficients, leading to inaccuracies in tissue density representation.
Slice thickness directly affects the spatial resolution in the z-axis of a CT scan. Thinner slices provide better resolution.
CT imaging is based on X-ray absorption by different tissues in the body. The varying absorption levels allow for the creation of detailed cross-sectional images.
Multislice CT can acquire multiple slices simultaneously, leading to faster scan times and improved patient throughput.
Dual-energy CT is used to evaluate bone density and can differentiate between different materials based on their energy-dependent attenuation properties.
CT reconstruction involves processing the raw data acquired during scanning into cross-sectional images that can be interpreted by radiologists.
The gantry is the part of a CT scanner that contains the X-ray tube and detector array. It rotates around the patient to acquire multiple projection images.
Low-dose CT techniques involve adjusting scan parameters to reduce radiation exposure while still producing diagnostically useful images.
Beam-hardening artifacts occur due to the differential absorption of X-rays by high-density materials, leading to inaccuracies in the reconstructed images.
The CT scout image is used to help position the patient correctly within the scanner before the actual scan. It aids in ensuring that the desired anatomical region is imaged.
The Hounsfield unit scale assigns numerical values to tissue densities based on their X-ray attenuation. Water is typically assigned a value of 0 HU, and air is around -1000 HU.
Dynamic CT perfusion imaging can provide information about blood flow and tissue perfusion in addition to anatomical images.
Slice thickness refers to the distance between two adjacent cross-sectional images in a CT scan. It determines the z-axis resolution of the scan.
