Medical Scanning Technology
Have you ever broken a bone and needed an X-ray? Regardless, this article briefly goes over some basic imaging technologies!
X-Ray-
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen experimented with a cathode ray tube (an evacuated glass cylinder)
For one experiment, he closed the tube with black cardboard and darkened the room; moments after turning on the tube, a photographic plate in his lab was glowing
Accidentally discovered radiation unknown to science, which he called X-rays
■ The “X” in X-rays signifies that the type of radiation was unknown, just as the “x” in math is an unknown
CT Scan-
CT stands for computerized tomography
Series of x-rays taken from different angles of the body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices)
A diagnostic imaging test used to create detailed images of internal organs, bones, soft tissue and blood vessels
The cross-sectional images generated during a CT scan can be reformatted in multiple planes, and can even generate three-dimensional images
MRI-
Uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the inside of your body
No radiation is involved
Ultrasound-
Imaging that uses a transducer or probe to generate sound waves and produce pictures of the body's internal structures
BY: Richa Kuklani
