Diagnostic Imaging Technology

Diagnostic Imaging Technology

1. MRI

   • How it works
     • The MRI scanner captures the energy and creates a picture of the scanned tissues
     • Hydrogen atoms naturally exist in the body. Radio waves redirect the alignment of the hydrogen atoms in the body and and analyze the energy different tissues emit when the hydrogen atoms return to their typical alignment in the body
   • What it shows
     • Organs, soft tissues, bone
   • Uses
     • Evaluate organs of the body/abdomen, pelvic organs (bladder, reproductive organs), blood vessels, and lymph nodes
     • Diagnose and monitor treatments
   • MRI diagnosing breast cancer

2. X-Ray

   • How it works
     • Creates pictures of the inside of your body in different shades of black and white. Different tissues absorb different amounts of radiation leading to the varying shades of gray shown on an x-ray
       • Dense areas of the body that don't allow much of the x-rays to pass through appear white (bones) as opposed to hollow or air filled places of the body that appear black (lungs)
   • What it shows
     • Bones, joint spaces, the heart, (size/shape), changes in density, and fluid collection
   • Uses
     • Checking for broken bones
     • Spotting pneumonia
     • Looking for cancer
     • Monitoring the progression of a disease
   • Normal foot and hand x-ray

3. Bone Scan

   • How it works
     • A radiotracer that contains a small amount of radioactive material is inserted into a vein
       • The substance travels through the blood to the bones and organs
         • As the substance wears off it leaves traces of radiation
           • The radiation is detected by a camera that slowly scans the body
             • The camera takes pictures of how much the radiotracer collects in the bones
   • What it shows
     • The various bones of the skeleton
   • Uses
     • Find bone cancer or determine if another cancer has spread to the bone
     • Diagnose the cause/location of unexplained bone pain
     • Diagnose broken bones not clearly seen on an x-ray
     • Find damage to bones
   • Bone Scan showing a stress fracture on the right leg

4. CT Scam

   • How it works
     • Combines many x-ray images with the aid of a computer to generate images that overlap to show all sections of the body
       • A large donut like machine takes x-ray images at many different angles around the body
   • What it shows
     • Internal organs and structures
   • Uses
     • Define normal or abnormal structure in the bosy
     • Assist in procedures by guiding the placement of instruments and treatments
   • Bacterial pneumonia diagnosed through the abnormal obstruction of the lung

Images and files in the map