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Medical Technology
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is used to produce images of
organs and tissues within the body for use in
diagnosis and treatment.
It is a type of diagnostic testing.
Different types of medical imaging are used for
seeing different things within the body.
History
• Over the years the types of diagnostic imaging
techniques have advanced.
• The newer techniques are less invasive and
reduce the patients exposure to radiation.
A Look at History:
Shoe Fitting X-ray Device
• Shoe fitting x-ray machines were common in
department stores in the late 1940’s and early
1950’s.
• The purpose of the machine was to produce an
image of how your shoe fit.
• By the 1970s, the radiation hazard of the shoe
fitting x-ray was realized, eliminating its use as a
shoe fitting device.
The Shoe Fitting X-ray Device
Randy Glance,
CTAE Resource Network
The Discovery of X-ray
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Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen detected
electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength and
produced a picture of his wife’s hand; known
today as the x-ray.
Roentgen originally named his discovery the xray because it was an unknown type of radiation
and this name has stuck.
The photo of his wife, Anna Berthe, was the first
x-ray and was taken on December 22, 1895.
For his discovery, Roentgen was awarded the
Noble Peace Prize in 1901.
X-ray
• Most common medical imaging.
• Uses high energy radiation that penetrates through
skin and tissue but not through bones. This produces a
radiograph (x-ray image).
• Areas like bone that absorb more radiation appear
whiter while areas that the radiation passes through
appear dark.
• Radiographs can be used to look for broken bones or
even cancer.
• Radiologists are doctors that use radiographs to look
for abnormalities so they can be diagnosed and
treated.
X-ray image of a broken collarbone
fluoroscopy
• Technique using a continuous beam of x-rays to
show the movement of organs like the stomach
or intestines.
• Patients usually have to ingest a contrast liquid to
help the doctor see clearly (barium or iodide).
• Used to study blood vessels of the heart and
brain. These images are called angriograms. A
dye can be injected into an artery in the groin,
allowing doctors to see blood flow in the arteries
and blood vessels. Can help prevent strokes or
heart attacks.
Angiogram showing blood vessels of
the heart
radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is the use of x-rays to treat cancer.
• X-rays damage the DNA of the cancer cells, either
killing them or preventing them from multiplying.
• Beams of x-rays are directed at the tumour so as
not to damage the surrounding healthy tissue.
• This is often combined with other treatments
such as surgery and chemotherapy (medicine).
ultrasound
• Use of high frequency sound waves to produce
images of tissues and organs (soft tissues).
• A transducer is placed on the skin and produces
soundwaves that enter the body and are
reflected back.
• This reflection creates and image.
• It is not used for bones because the sound cannot
penetrated bones and not used for the intestinal
tract because air bubbles can distort the image.
• Ultrasounds are commonly used during
pregnancy to study the developing fetus.
Computer Tomography (CT) Scans
• Also known as computer assisted tomography
scans (CAT scans).
• Uses x-ray equipment to produce 3D images by
taking a series of pictures from different angles.
• It is used for diagnosing cancer, skeletal
abnormalities, and vascular diseases.
• Can be used for imaging bone, soft tissues and
blood vessels at the same time.
• Used in ERs because it is quick and provides
detailed information.
Nuclear technology
• Uses radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) to provide
images of how tissues and organs function.
• The radioisotope produces radiation and is attached to
a chemical that is absorbed by the body.
• As the radioisotope emits radiation, a special camera
and computer detect it and produce and image.
• Used to diagnose cancer, investigate blood circulation
and evaluate organ disorders.
• Also used for treating some cancers like prostate,
thyroid or breast cancer.
Positron Emission Tomography
• Nuclear medicine that uses radioisotopes that
emit particles called positrons.
• Usually used to detect cancer in tissues, heart
disease and some brain disorders such as
Alzheimer’s disease.
Biophotonics
• Light is shone on cells and tissues. The light is
scattered by the molecules of the cells and a
special device is used to record these scatter
patterns.
• This produces an image.
• Doctors can things like endoscopes to examine
deep inside the body. An endoscope is a thin
tube with a bright light and a camera.