Question

An X-ray machine makes one 2-D image at a time. A computed tomography (CT)

machine makes many X-ray images in thin slices through a specific part of the body.
A computer then combines these slices to build a 3-D image of the internal organs.
Describe two ways in which CT machines differ from X-ray machines.

Answer 1

computerized x-ray imaging procedure in which a narrow beam of x-rays is aimed at a patient and quickly rotated around the body, producing signals that are processed by the machine’s computer to generate cross-sectional images—or “slices”—of the body. These slices are called tomographic images and contain more detailed information than conventional x-rays. Once a number of successive slices are collected by the machine’s computer, they can be digitally “stacked” together to form a three-dimensional image of the patient that allows for easier identification and location of basic structures as well as possible tumors or abnormalities.