Transcript Medical Imaging Technologies

Medical Imaging
Technologies
Medical imaging produces images
of organs and tissues within the
body for use in diagnosis and
treatment
Looking For Signs of Trouble
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Medical technology
allows doctors to
“look inside” their
patients to diagnose
a wide variety of
illnesses and
injuries
X-Ray
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Most common form of medical imaging
X-Ray is high energy radiation that can go through
skin and tissues, but not bone or metal
X-rays are absorbed by dense structures which
will appear whiter than less dense structures
around it (shows bones and some foreign objects
but not soft tissue like skin or muscle)
X-Ray machines produce a radiograph for the
radiologist to read
X-Ray: Benefits and
Drawbacks
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Radiographs can be used
to check for broken bones
and for cavities in your
teeth
X-Ray imaging is quick,
virtually painless and noninvasive
X-Ray can cause changes
and mutations to DNA
X-Ray -> Fluoroscopy
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Uses X-Rays to produce
images that show the
movement of organs
Patient may need to ingest a
contrast liquid such as
barium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umnnA50IDIY
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Used to study digestive
and circulatory function
 The image of a blood
vessel is called an
angiogram
X-Ray -> Computerized Axial
Tomography (CT)
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X-Ray equipment is used to
form a 3D image from a
series of images taken at
different angles of the body
Often used to diagnose
cancer, bone injuries and
blockages in blood vessels
CT can image bone, soft
tissue and blood vessels at
the same time
This test is quick, painless
and provides detailed
information
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx-0emi4m8s
Nuclear Medicine -> Positron
Emission Tomography (PET)
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The patient is given an
injection of radioactive
glucose.
Rapidly dividing cancer
cells use glucose faster
than normal cells so
they ‘glow’ with
radiation
PET can be used to
detect cancer in tissue,
to detect heart disease
and some brain
disorders
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRI
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Uses powerful magnets and
radio waves to produce
detailed 3D images of the
body
The magnets interact with
the hydrogen atoms (found
in H2O)
MRI have a greater contrast
between soft tissues than CT
or X-ray images. This
makes them very useful for
diagnosing sports injuries
and finding if the injury is to
the soft tissue or bone
Ultrasound
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Uses high frequency
sound waves to
produce images of body
tissue and organs
 Sound waves enter the
body and are reflected
back (like an echo)
 They are often used on
pregnant women
because they are very
safe and can give clear
images of the fetus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EStMIHpFow
Endoscopy
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Doctors can use
endoscopes to examine
the digestive tract and
collect tissue samples
Endoscopic surgeries
are much less invasive
THE
END