Description:
CT imaging has most commonly been used for diagnosing diseases of the brain, nasal and sinus cavities, orbit, mediastinum,
lung, liver, adrenal gland, elbow joint, and spine. Although CT is a noninvasive imaging technique, ionized radiation from
the x-ray tube is produced.
Computed tomography uses a computer to mathematically reconstruct a cross-sectional image of the body area from measurements
of x-ray transmission through thin slices of patient tissue. In the machine, a narrow, collimated beam of x-rays is generated
on one side of the patient. Sensitive detectors on the opposite side of the patient measure the amount of x-ray transmission
through a tissue slice of the patient. These measurements are repeated many times from different directions as the x-ray tube
rotates around the patient. When the computer finishes processing the information, the slices are stacked together to create
cross sectional images of the patient without superimposition of organs or other tissues. The University of Minnesota Veterinary
Medical Center utilizes a state-of-the-art 64 slice CT scanner. For each rotation of the tube, 64 slices are obtained which
results in much faster scanning (often less than 10 seconds) and much thinner slices for excellent detail. After the study
has been completed and the patient has left the CT scanner, the information can be used to create other images, including 3D
images, for exquisite detail of the internal structures of the patient.