Scribd
Upload
42 views36 pages

Introduction To Medical Imaging

X-rays are used to create medical images by passing through the body and being blocked to varying degrees, with higher atomic number materials like bone blocking more of the x-rays and showing up white on the image, while low atomic number materials like air allow more to pass through and appear dark. The five basic radiographic densities that appear on x-rays from black to white are air, fat, soft tissue, bone/mineral, and metal. Being able to recognize these densities and understand how x-rays interact with the body is important for interpreting medical images.

Uploaded by

Peaceful Life
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
42 views36 pages

Introduction To Medical Imaging

X-rays are used to create medical images by passing through the body and being blocked to varying degrees, with higher atomic number materials like bone blocking more of the x-rays and showing up white on the image, while low atomic number materials like air allow more to pass through and appear dark. The five basic radiographic densities that appear on x-rays from black to white are air, fat, soft tissue, bone/mineral, and metal. Being able to recognize these densities and understand how x-rays interact with the body is important for interpreting medical images.

Uploaded by

Peaceful Life
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 36

Introduction to Medical

Imaging

Jeff Benseler, D.O.


Objectives

 How do x-rays create an image of internal


body structures?

 What are the 5 basic radiographic densities?

 Try your hand at interpreting several medical


imaging cases.
List of diagnostic imaging studies
 Plain x-rays
 CT scan
 MRI Which of these modalities use
ionizing radiation?
 Nuclear imaging/PET
 Ultrasound
 Mammography
 Angiography
 Fluoroscopy
What are x-rays?
 No mass
 No charge
 Energy

What is your
diagnosis?
Basic x-ray physics
 X-rays: a form of electromagnetic energy
 Travel at the speed of light
 Electromagnetic spectrum
 Gamma Rays X-rays
 Visible light Infrared light
 Microwaves Radar
 Radio waves
Three things can happen
 X-rays can:
 Pass all the way through the body
 Be deflected or scattered

 Be absorbed

Where on this image


have x-rays passed
through the body
to the greatest degree?
X-rays Passing Through Tissue
 Depends on the energy of the x-ray and the
atomic number of the tissue
 Higher energy x-ray - more likely to pass
through
 Higher atomic number - more likely to absorb
the x-ray
Diagnosis?
How do x-rays passing through the
body create an image?
 X-rays that pass through the body to the film
render the film dark (black)
 X-rays that are totally blocked do not reach the
film and render the film light (white)
 Air = low atomic # = x-rays get through =
image is dark
 Metal = high atomic # = x-rays blocked =
image is light (white)
5 Basic Radiographic Densities
1.

 Air
 Fat 4.
 Soft tissue/fluid
 Mineral
 Metal 2. 5.

3.

Name these radiographic densities.


History: “I think my dog swallowed a rock”

Diagnosis: “Yes, he did.”


Optimal Viewing
 Dedicated light source
 Darkened environment (like a movie theater)
 Limit distraction
X-ray viewing station
Diagnosis?
A broken central venous catheter has
migrated into the right lower
lobe pulmonary artery
Can you recognize
shapes and density?
Find the pathology
What clues do you have?
Medical Imaging
 Primary purpose is to identify pathologic
conditions.
 Requires recognition of normal anatomy.
History: 11 y/o twisting
injury of the foot
Please name these bones
1.
2.
3.
Word bank:
4.
Cuboid
Navicular
Medial cuneiform
Os naviculare
Naming the parts of a long bone

Distal

3.

2.

1.

Proximal

Word bank: epiphysis, metaphysis, diaphysis, cortex, medullary cavity


Summary: How do x-rays create an image of
internal body structures?

 X-rays pass through the body to varying


degrees
 Higher atomic number structures block x-rays
better, example bone.
 Lower atomic number structures allow x-rays
to pass through, example: air in the lungs.
Question: If x-rays were blocked to the same degree by all body
structures, could we see the internal parts of the body?
What are the 5 basic radiographic
densities from black to bright white?
 Air
 Fat
 Soft tissue/fluid
 Bone/mineral
 Metal
Ways to improve your radiology skills

 The Radiology Handbook


 Learningradioilogy.com
 Auntminnie.com
 Web searches with key words “medical
imaging”
 Surf the websites of medical schools
What density
are the
lungs?

Why?

The list: air, fat, soft tissue, mineral and metal


air

CT scan of the abdomen


X-rays used skin
What density is this?
D
Diagnosis?
i
Radiographic Analysis
 Any structure, normal or
pathologic, should be analyzed
for:
1. Size
2. Shape and contour
3. Position
4. Density (You must know the 5 basic
densities)
The anatomical position

left
right
Absorbed

Passed through
Medullary bone

Soft tissue

Metal
Note:
Right-left marker
Technologist’s initials
3
Name these
densities

4
1

2
What density
is this?
Summary questions
 What 3 things when an x-ray encounters the
body?
 How is it possible to see the heart on an x-ray?
 What are the 5 basic radiographic densities?
 What three things can you do to protect
yourself from radiation?
Questions for me?

You might also like