Main article: Electron beam computed tomographyĮlectron beam tomography (EBT) is a specific form of CT in which a large enough X-ray tube is constructed so that only the path of the electrons, travelling between the cathode and anode of the X-ray tube, are spun using deflection coils. Hounsfield "for the development of computer-assisted tomography". Cormack and British electrical engineer Godfrey N. The 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to South African-American physicist Allan M. While CT is most prominently used in diagnostic medicine, it also may be used to form images of non-living objects.
Since its development in the 1970s, CT has proven to be a versatile imaging technique. However, CT can be used in patients with metallic implants or pacemakers, for whom MRI is contraindicated. The use of ionizing radiation sometimes restricts its use owing to its adverse effects. The multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles are then processed on a computer using reconstruction algorithms to produce tomographic (cross-sectional) images (virtual "slices") of a body.
ĬT scanners use a rotating X-ray tube and a row of detectors placed in the gantry to measure X-ray attenuations by different tissues inside the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or radiology technologists. A CT scan, also known as computed tomography scan (formerly known as computed axial tomography or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology ( x-ray) to obtain detailed internal images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes.