New Scanner Greaty Improves Resolution While Reducing X-Ray Exposure
Posted on November 27, 2007
A new 256-slice CT machine from Philips creates some stunning images that medical professionals can use to find abnormalities and disease. The BBC reports that the new machine produces "3D body images of unprecedented clarity" while also reducing X-ray exposure by as much as 80%.
The new 256-slice CT machine takes large numbers of X-ray pictures, and combines them using computer technology to produce the final detailed images.Getting greating increase resolution combined with a reduction in radiation exposure is definitely a plus plus. The downside is it make a take a while for the new technology to make its way to local hospitals and clinic. The BBC story also includes a video that contains some of the scans. Looking at the scans it is obvious that this is a big step up in clarity.It also generates images in a fraction of the time of other scanners: a full body scan takes less than a minute.
The Philips machine was unveiled at the Radiological Society of North America.
Because the images are 3D they can be rotated and viewed from different directions - giving doctors the greatest possible help in looking for signs of abnormalities or disease.
All images also can be accessed on any computer in a hospital or by colleagues and researchers remotely, to make it easier for the whole team to share information.