Diagnostic imaging equipment includes X-ray machines, CT scanners, MRI scanners, PET scanners, and ultrasound machines. Each machine has a different function and aids healthcare professionals in diagnostics and treatment. X-rays are used for bone problems and identifying foreign objects, while CT scanners capture more detail and show bones, organs, tumors, and other body tissue. MRI scanners use magnetic and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of organs, blood vessels, and bones. PET scanners track radioactive material to see how organs and body functions are working. Ultrasound machines send high-frequency sound waves through the body to visualize soft tissues and monitor fetal development.
Some of the more commonly used types of diagnostic imaging equipment include x-ray machines, computed tomography (CT) scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, and ultrasound machines. Each of these pieces of diagnostic imaging equipment allows healthcare professionals to study various internal structures of the body. While similar in title, each piece of equipment performs a different function that aids professionals in diagnostics and treatment.
X-ray machines work by sending a small amount of radiation, in the form of electromagnetic waves, through the body onto a special film or plate. Electromagnetic waves are typically absorbed by bones, dense tissue, and any metallic objects within the body and pass through soft tissue, such as skin, muscle, and fat. When the film or plate is developed in an X-ray, all areas where the electromagnetic waves from the X-ray machine have been absorbed appear white. Areas where the waves have traveled all the way to the film or plate appear black. X-rays are often used to help diagnose bone problems, such as fractures or tooth cavities, and to identify foreign objects in the body, such as bullets or nails.
CT scanners are a special type of X-ray machine. In general, CT scanners include a large ring that emits electromagnetic waves and captures any as they pass through the body. The scanner is connected to a computer that helps interpret the X-ray images and typically displays them as cross-sectional or two-dimensional views of radiographic sections of the body. CT scanners generally capture more detail than X-ray machines, so they can be used to help show bones, organs, tumors, and other body tissue.
Another type of diagnostic imaging equipment is an MRI scanner. Unlike X-ray machines and CT scanners, an MRI scanner uses no radiation; instead, it uses magnetic and radio waves. An MRI scanner typically includes a large cylinder-shaped magnet with a hole in the middle that the patient slides into. This magnet creates a magnetic field that surrounds the patient as he enters the scanner. In general, radio waves are then passed through the body at regular intervals, thus creating data that is transmitted to a connected computer, which translates the data into cross-sectional images of organs, blood vessels and bones.
PET scanners are yet another type of diagnostic imaging equipment that uses a ring that a patient slips into. In this case, the ring detects radioactive material, which a patient typically ingests, inhales, or receives via intravenous injection immediately before undergoing a PET scan. A patient then typically sits on a table and slides into the PET scanner ring, where detectors track the radioactive material as it moves through the body. The ring is connected to a computer, which uses information about how much radioactive material is absorbed to create a picture of what’s happening inside the body. In general, PET scanners can be used to help see how certain organs, such as the heart and brain, and body functions, such as blood flow, are working.
The last common type of diagnostic imaging equipment is the ultrasound machine. Ultrasound machines typically consist of several components, including a transducer, computer, and video monitor. The transducer sends high-frequency sound waves through the body and then listens for the echoes. This information is translated by the computer into an image, which is usually displayed on the video monitor. Ultrasound machines are often used to help visualize the soft tissues of the body, such as organs and blood vessels, and to see inside the uterus during pregnancy to monitor fetal development.
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