CT Hardware & System Operation Flashcards
What does the detectors convert the number of photons that pass through the patient into?
Tiny electrical signals that represents the attenuation information of the body
What is the operator’s console used for?
Viewing images Post-processing images Archiving images Filming images Patient registration
Where is the CT raw data storage device located?
Host computer
The patient table moves so that the anatomical region we want to scan always aligns with:
The beam of x-ray photons
In what ways can a gantry move?
By rotation and angling
Why would a gantry be angled?
To select oblique slices through the anatomy
What determines the number of electrons that flow from the cathode to the anode?
Temperature of the cathode filament
Why does the anode rotate?
Great amount of heat
Tube currents are generally selected in the range of:
Tens to hundreds of milliamperes (mA)
How does mA and photons correlate to one another?
The greater the mA, the more photons are produced
The energy level of the x-ray photons determines how:
Easily they will penetrate the patient’s body
Tube voltages are generally selected in the range of:
90 to 140 kilovolts (kV)
How does kV and photons correlate to one another?
The greater the kV, the more penetrating the photons will be.
The only opening in the tube housing that allows passage of the x-ray photons
Tube Window
What are collimators made of?
X-ray opaque material
Collimations restricts x-rays to only:
The selected cross-sectional region
What is the difference between pre-patient collimation on a single-row detector scanner versus a multi-row detector?
On a single-row detector scanner, the thickness of the cross-sectional slice is determined by the collimation
On a MDCT, the slice thickness is determined during image reconstruction
Which type of collimation acts to minimize scatter radiation as well as minimizing dose of ionizing radiation administered to the patient?
Pre-patient
Which type of collimation acts to minimize scatter radiation as well as provides better definition to the slice thickness?
Post-patient
Post-patient collimation is also referred to as:
Pre-detector Collimation
For an x-ray photon to generate a signal, it must:
Enter the detector
Collide with a detector atom
Produce a measurable event
What are the two basic categories of detectors?
Gas and solid state
What is the gas used in a gas detector?
Xenon
Having a large distance between xenon atoms could _____ the chance of x-ray production.
Decrease