Final CT Flashcards
ray
A single transmission measurement through the patient made by a single detector at a given moment in time
projection (or view)
A series of rays that pass through the patient at the same orientation
1G CT Scanner
- “translate/rotate” geometry
- could use narrow beam geometry
- All rays in a view are parallel to each other “parallel ray geometry”
- Able to take two slices at once by using a slightly fan-shaped beam that covered two detectors
- Tube was usually stationary anode tube with 12 degree target angle
2G CT scanner
- “Translate/rotate” geometry
- Typically 30 detectors and only one slice
- Each translation obtains data for 30 different angles. This allows fewer rotations
- Parallel ray geometry
- more scatter effects
3G CT Scanner
- “rotate/rotate” geometry
- Typically 700 to 1000 detectors
- Fan-beam geometry
- broad beam measurements-more scatter
- Rotating anode tube
- Tube and detectors co-rotate
- Detector collimation can reduce scatter effects
4G CT scanner
- “rotate/stationary”
- Typically 700-2400 stationary detectors
- fan-beam geometry
- broad beam measurements-more scatter
- large air gap to reduce scatter
- rotating anode tube around patient
- Each detector forms a view as the tube moves across and behind the patient
- Detector collimation is minimal to allow large angular acceptance
- Tube moves about 0.05 deg between rays
5G CT Scanner
- Electron beam (stationary detectors and tube)
- basically 4G geometry
- focal spot is swept on anode to move the x-ray fan beam
- can sweep in 50 ms
Picker Slip Rings
- Early scanners limited by rotation
- needed to “rewind” due to cables
- This limited scan speed, time between scans
- Development of slip rings allowed the development of continuous rotation
Modern scanners
- Nearly all modern scanners are 3G geometry due to lowest cost
- 1-2 revolutions per second
6G CT scanners
- Helical
- First with single detector geometry, then with multi-detector
Slice Pitch
Single detector scanner
7G CT scanner
- Multi-slice
- Up to 256 slices
- CT is becoming “cone beam”
Beam Pitch
Multi-detector scanner
X-ray tubes in CT
- 80-140 kVp, continuous excitation
- fan beam or thin cone collimation
- More filtering than projection radiography
- copper followed by aluminum
- better approximation to monoenergetic
- Best contrast at about 125 kVp, thicker patients use higher kVp
CT detectors
- Most are solid state
- scintillation crystal
- solid state photo-diode
- Original EMI head scanner had a water bag to reduce detector “afterglow” due to the NaI(th) crystals
Detectors Scatter and Efficiency
- Scatter
- Increasing scatter sensitivity: 1,2,3,4
- gas detectors have low scatter sensitivity
- Efficiency
- Direct detection, scint-photomultiplier, scint-photodiode, gas detector
Detector Resolution
CT Detector Specifications
- Single-slice scanners
- Area: 1.0mm X 15.0 mm
- Thick in 3G, thin in 4G and EBCT
- Multi-slice scanners
- Area: 1.0mm X 1.25 mm
- Grouped in multiples of 1.25 mm
X-ray Source Effects
- Use of a shaped x-ray filter (“bowtie”): head and body versions helps to reduce dose and the needed dynamic range of the detectors
Monoenergetic Model
CT Measurement
CT Basics
- We want each voxel in the image to represent the linear attenuation coefficient of the tissue in that voxel
- Attenuation in diagnostic range due to photoelectric effect and compton scattering
- Attenuation coefficient mainly reflects tissue density
CT Number
CT Reconstruction Basice
- It is easy to measure the attenuation coefficient is there is only one absorber
- To measure an array of absorbers we have to make many measurements
Picture of a Line
Line parameters
Line Integral Parametric Form
Line Integral Set Form
Physical Meaning of f(x,y) and g(l,\theta)
What is g(l,\theta)?
Sinogram
- A way to display the Radon Transform
- CT data acquired for collection of l and \theta
- CT scanners aquires a sinogram