CT (Erin) Flashcards
What is the effect of increasing slice thickness on SNR?
Increases SNR
What is the effect of thinner slices on SNR?
Decreases SNR
What is the effect of increasing mA on SNR?
Increases SNR
What is the effect of decreasing mA on SNR?
Decreases SNR
What is the effect of increasing kVp on SNR
Increases SNR
What is the effect of decreasing kVp on SNR
Decreases SNR
How is pitch calculated?
how far the table moves per gantry rotation/slice thickness
What is the dominant interaction in CT?
Compton scatter
Does compton scatter or the photoelectric effect dominate in CT?
Compton scatter
What is the usual kV used in CT?
120
What is the effect of increasing/decreasing window width on spatial resolution in CT
No effect
What is the effect of increasing window width on image contrast in CT
Decreases contrast
What is the effect of decreasing window width on image contrast in CT
Increases contrast
What is a normal pitch number for CT
1.5
What is the effect of higher pitch on CT scanning time
Faster scan
What is the effect of lower pitch on CT scanning time
Longer scan
What is the effect of a higher pitch on SR
Worse SR
What is the effect of a lower pitch on SR
Better SR
What is meant by CTDI
When the patient is in the scanner and the gantry rotates once through 360 degrees while x-rays are being emitted, the amount of dose received by the patient during that one rotation is referred to as the CTDI.
What does CTDI stand for
CT Dose Index
What is CTDI measured in?
mGy
What is the effect of reduced scan time on motion artefact
Reduced motion artefact
Usual HU for lungs
-500 to -1000
Usual HU of fat
–100
Usual HU of water, CSF, urine etc
Around 0
Usual HU of grey matter
35-45
Usual HU of white matter
20-30
Usual HU of muscle
40
Usual HU of bone
2000
Usual HU of metal
> 2000
What is the cause of structural noise?
Causes by reconstruction algorithms
What is the cause of electronic noise
Arises due to slight variations in the current within the circuitry
What is the effect of a higher pitch on resolution?
Lower resolution
What is the effect of a lower pitch on resolution
Higher resolution
What generation are most modern CT scanners
3rd generation
What are the typical focal spot sizes used in CT
0.6mm
1.2mm
What shape of filter is often used in CT
Bow tie
What are the typical tube voltages used adults studies
120kVp
(mean 60keV)
What are the typical tube voltages used in paediatric studies
80kVp
(mean 40keV)
What are typical filter materials used in CT
Copper
Aluminium
What are the ceramic scintillaiton detectors, used in CT, typically made from
Gadolinium oxysulphide
What is overbeaming
The additional exposure to the penumbral radiation
When is the dose consequence from overbeaming the largest?
When the total beam width is small
For smaller beams the penumbra represents a larger portion of the total beam width and results in LOWER DOSE EFFICIENCY
In a multislice CT scanner what is slice thickness determined by
Detector size in Z axis
Describe axial CT scanning (Step and Shoot)
1.X-ray tube rotates through 360o around the patient
- Bed moves to new position & the next slice is acquired
For which studies is axial scanning often used
brain scanning and high resolution lung scanning