Scribd
Upload
5 views14 pages

Understanding Plain Film Tomography

The document discusses the principles and techniques of plain film tomography, highlighting its goal of enhancing contrast by blurring out-of-focus planes. It covers the history of tomography, its decreasing popularity due to advancements in CT and MRI, and the mechanics of blurring achieved through synchronous movement of the imaging tube and film. Additionally, it addresses patient dose considerations, cut thickness, and the use of grids in tomographic imaging.

Uploaded by

Bid R
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
5 views14 pages

Understanding Plain Film Tomography

The document discusses the principles and techniques of plain film tomography, highlighting its goal of enhancing contrast by blurring out-of-focus planes. It covers the history of tomography, its decreasing popularity due to advancements in CT and MRI, and the mechanics of blurring achieved through synchronous movement of the imaging tube and film. Additionally, it addresses patient dose considerations, cut thickness, and the use of grids in tomographic imaging.

Uploaded by

Bid R
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

Resident

Resident Physics
Physics Lectures
Lectures

Plain Film
Tomography
George David
Associate Professor
Department of Radiology
Medical College of Georgia
Body
Body Section
Section
Tomography
Tomography
• Not CT
• Body Section Imaging
• Goal
 keep plane of interest in focus
 blur all other plans
» enhances contrast

• Popularity decreasing because


of
 CT
 MRI
Tomography
Tomography History
History

• Predates CT by decades
• Used to be popular for inner ear
studies
• Still used at MCG for IVP’s

George
David
Tomography
Tomography Blurring
Blurring
• Blurring accomplished
by synchronous
movement of tube &
film
 tube & bucky physically
connected by rod
 rod pivots around fulcrum
 tube moves one direction
 film moves in other direction
Conventional
Conventional Tomography
Tomography Blurring
Blurring
• Image produced on
film
• Objects above or
below fulcrum plane
change position on film
& thus blur

George
David
Tomography
Tomography Blurring
Blurring
• the further from the
fulcrum an object is,
the more it blurs!
Tomography
Tomography Blurring
Blurring
• objects shaped &
oriented in direction of
motion
 elongate
 do not blur
Tomographic
Tomographic Blurring
Blurring
• Blurring improved by use of complex
motions

circular

Hypocycloidal
tri-spiral

elliptical
Complex
Complex Blurring
Blurring

• The more complex the blurring


motion
 the sharper the tomographic image
» better blurring
 the more expensive the machine

$
George
David
Tomo
Tomo Patient
Patient Doses
Doses

• Tomo can be high dose procedure


 several rads not unusual

• one image per cut with film


 cuts at many levels routinely employed to find cut of
interest
 each cut exposes entire field

• Can do multiple images per cut with


digital receptor

George
David
Thickness
Thickness of
of Cut
Cut
• Same as thickness of region in focus
• Determined by angle tube moves
• Larger angles yield thinner cuts
 more motion = more blurring

• Smaller angles yield thicker cuts


 0o (stationary) yields conventional film
Thickness
Thickness of
of Cut
Cut

Larger Angle; Smaller Angle;


Thinner Cut Thicker Cut
Cut
Cut Thickness
Thickness

• Approximate cut thickness for


linear tomo
Tomo Angle Thickness of Cut (mm)
(degrees)
-------------------------------------------------------
0 Infinite (non-tomo)
2 31
4 16
6 11
10 6
20 3
35 2
50 1
George
David
Grids
Grids &
& Tomo
Tomo

• Linear grid used


• Grid lines parallel with table for
linear tomo
• Grid must change orientation
(rotate) in complex motion tomo
 eliminates grid cutoff

George
David

You might also like