Modalities Flashcards
In dental radiography why is a stationary anode used?
because only a low kVp is utilised
isocentre when undertaking a Orthopantomogram?
Dental arch
What angle is given to a xray beam on a OPT unit?
15 degrees cranially (towards the head)
How is the soft tissue detail achieved on a Cephalogram
with the use of an aluminium filter
What does INR stand for?
International normalisation ratio
What distance should a radiographer be from the pencil beam in DEXA?
1m
What is a normal Z-score?
-What T-score indicates osteopenia?
-What T-score indicates osteoporosis?
-2.0 and above
-1.0 to -2.5
-2.5 and below
What is the anode in a mammography tube made from?
Molybdenum and/or rhodium alloy. Preferred to tungsten due to low atomic numbers.
What are the standard mammography views?
Craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique
What is the name of the device used to make radioactive isotopes?
Cyclotron
What is the keV of the photon gamma rays?
511 keV
Which radiopharmaceutical is typically used in PET-CT?
18 fuoride
What is the half-life of 18 Fluoride?
110 mins
What is the parent atom of 99m-Tc?
Molybdenum-99
Through what process does 99m-Tc decay?
Gamma decay
What would a Hounsfield unit of 0 mean?
Water
What is the name of the effect the transducer uses in US?
Piezoelectric effect
What is the half-life of 99m-Tc?
6 hours
What is the propagation speed of sound considered to be in soft tissues?
1540ms^-1
What is the photon energy of 99M-Tc?
140 keV
Advantage of helical scanning in CT
enables continuous rotation of the x-ray tube and therefore permits faster rotation times and therefore faster scanning.
Purpose of compression in mammography
- To equalize breast thickness so as to produce a radiograph with relatively homogeneous density across the whole breast.
- Increase resolution
- decrease movement unsharpness
- decrease patient scatter
- increase contrast
- decrease dose
Sound waves travel via
compression and rarefraction
How much does a gamma camera amplify the incident electron
Factor of 4^10
What is a flood test in RNI
To ensure that all photomultiplier tubes are functioning correctly.
quality control tests regularly undertaken in the radiopharmacy when preparing radiopharmaceuticals
Dab tests.
Broth tests.
breakthrough test
ensures that no traces of molybdenum 99 are present in the technetium 99m
accepted upper limit of ‘missed tissue at chest wall’ that is regarded as acceptable in mammography
5 mm
advantage of non-ionic contrast media compared to ionic
Ionic contrast media is associated with 4 times the number of reactions and is 5.5 times more likely to cause a severe reaction.
How are images created in PET imaging
Coincidence detection, two gamma photons with an energy of 511 keV are emitted at 180 degrees to each other, only photons that hit the detector at the same time are ‘counted’
what is a contrast agent product license
The Product Licence defines the accepted (i.e. evaluated) range of use of the contrast agent. Not all contrast agents are licenced for all ages or for all types of examinations.
What is the difference between ‘general’ gadolinium based contrast agents used routinely in MRI e.g. for brain imaging, and contrast agents used in MRI specifically for imaging the liver parenchyma?
The general type contrast agent passes through the extracellular space and is then excreted via glomerular filtration whereas liver specific agents are taken up by liver cells and excreted by the biliary pathway.
what are ultrasound contrast agents made from?
Ultrasound contrast agents contain microbubbles of carbon dioxide that are naturally absorbed by the patient’s body.
what is the benefit of 3T MRI compared to 1.5T MRI
At higher field strengths there is a greater signal to noise ratio; this can lead to improved resolution and / or reduced scan times.
which modality is considered a disruptive introduction
MRI
Patient group directions, and / or patient specific directions.
Legal framework within which the task of administering contrast agents and other medicines used in imaging is delegated to the radiographer
What advice does the Royal College of Radiologists give about giving iodine based contrast media to parents who are breast feeding (as of January 2022)?
A very small percentage of the injected dose enters the breast milk and virtually none is absorbed across the normal gut, hence no special precaution or cessation of breastfeeding is required.
What are the 4 gradings of evidence for justification of dental radiography
A, B, C, NSR
How many focal spots are used in mammography tubes?
There are usually two focal spots in mammography. They need to be smaller than in general radiography to increase the detail seen on the image. This is so that small calculi can be recognised. A focal spot size of 0.3mm is used, with an option to use a 0.1mm focal spot for magnification.
Of what material is the tube exit port made in mammography, and why?
Beryllium is used to reduce the absorption of low energy x-rays.
Why is the anode Heel effect is so important in Mammography
In mammography it aligns the cathode over the chest wall end (thicker area to penetrate, higher energy beam) and the anode over the nipple end (thinner area to penetrate, lower energy beam), therefore give a more even exposure across the image.
Tomosynthesis?
imaging technique creating a 3-dimensional reconstruction of breast tissue through a series of projections taken at various angles. This produces slices through the breast which when put together provide us with a diagnostic, 3-D image of the breast. It differs to mammography because it is not limited into putting a 3-D image into a 2-D plane. It gives us a more accurate representation of certain cancers which mammography cannot.
BIRDS/BIRADS
BRAIDs is an internationally recognise system for the assessment of mammograms
Disadvantages of NHSBSP screening program
- Radiation dose on non-symptomatic patients
- not 100% sensitive
- anxiety of screening for patients
- High false positive rate
- potential over treatment
DSA
Digital subtraction angiography
Which arteries are most commonly used to access the circulatory system in angiography?
Femoral Artery, radial artery, brachial artery
- Why does DSA tend not to be used for cardiac angiography?
Heart movement
4 common procedures in angiography
- Angioplasty
- Stenting
- Thrombolisation
- Embolisation
Which type of artefacts is DSA imaging particularly susceptible to?
Movement
Why do we administer antispasmodics during CT colonography?
During CT colonography, adequate distension of the colon is required to allow proper visualisation of GIT mucosa. Buscopan is administered to relax the colon and allow filling of the colon
Who can administer a medicine to a patient under a PGD?
Any registered health care professional named in the PGD
What are the categories of iodine based contrast media?
- Ionicity
- No. of benzene rings
Why are non-ionic dimer contrast media not used for CT fast bolus scans?
High viscosity
Which type of iodinated contrast media is used of patients at high risk of adverse reactions?
Non-ionic dimers
which type of iodinated contrast media can be used for extravascular imaging e.g. cystography
Ionic
How are MRI contrast media categorised?
- Linear/Macrocyclic
- Ionicity