Essay Example on CT Scan: Peering Into the Human Body with X-Rays

Computed Tomography (CT) scan or Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) imaging is the x-ray imaging procedure involving the use of computer programs to project x-ray beams on the body of a patient to generate and process signals that form cross-sections or slices of the body. CT scan allows doctors to examine the internal organs of the body. It combines both the x-rays and computer programs to generate pictures of a patient's organs and internal tissues. The term tomography in CT scan borrows from "Tomos" and "graphia," Greek words for "section" and "describing," which literary translates to the sectioning and description of the internal organs. Unlike x-ray imaging, which produces generalized images, the CT scan generates detailed images and can be done on any body parts.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The invention of the CT scan was a collaborative effort of the British electrical engineer Godfrey Hounsfield, who by then was working at EMI Laboratories and Allan Cormack of South Africa, who by that time was working at Tufts University. The two invented CT scans in between 1967 and 1972 to examine and take a picture of the brain. They used the technique to take a picture of the tumor in the brain a 41-year old patient. The tomographic method had been used in the field of medicine long before the invention since the 1930s. However, the earlier use did not involve a combination of x-ray and computerized scanning. Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack invented a CT scan as a continuation of the works of William Henry who in 1963 developed a technique of analyzing internal organs covered by dense matter (Vega, et. Al, 2017).

One of the most significant parts of the history of CT scans is the mathematical theory revolving around its operation. The principle of operation of the CT scan largely depends on the theory of Radon transformation. The theory was developed by Johann Radon, an Austrian mathematician of the early 1900s. He developed the theory in 1917, demonstrating that there was a possibility for the reconstruction of a function located at an infinite projection. Stefan Kaczmarz later on in 1937 build on the theory by developing a method that led to the solution of the linear algebraic system of equations. Allan Cormack and Godfrey Hounsfield, who are the renowned pioneers of the CT scan, applied this theory. Cormack contributed to the great discovery through his input in the theoretical and experimental parts, while Hounsfield implemented the principles of the image reconstruction technique (Masood, Kadioglu, & Currier, 2019).

The initial clinical application of the CT scanning technique took place around 1974 and 1976. However, there was a preliminary installation of the EMI CT scanner in Wimbledon at the Atkinson Morley, where the first brain scanning on a patient occurred at the beginning of October 1971. The hospital made the brain scan public in 1972 following the successful application of the technology (Wijdicks, 2018). The introduction and installation of the CT scan and the related technology occurred in the United States first at the Mayo Clinic in the late 1970s. Today, the Mayo Clinic has displayed at its Radiology Department, an EMI scanner that acts as a tribute to this initial installation. These original CT scan installations primarily concentrated on the imaging of the head and the brain. The scanners had a relatively small opening for the head only. Around 1976, Hounsfield started the production of the CT scans that would allow for the examination of the whole body. These systems had larger openings that allowed the analysis of the entire body. They were later referred to as the whole-body systems. The popularity of the CT scan increased, and by the end of 1980, there was extensive use of the CT scanning technique. The early CT scanners were slow in scanning and imaging. They required several hours to capture the raw data for only one scan. Additionally, the scanners required several days to reconstruct any single scan from the available raw data (Masood, Kadioglu, & Currier, 2019).

The CT scan technology has continued to grow and develop both in the application and technological advancement. The development is evident through the introduction of the Automatic Computerized Transverse Axial (ACTA) developed by Robert Ledley, which can generate scans of virtually all parts of the body. Unlike the original scanners models, the ACTA did not require the "water tank" in its operation. The ACTA was faster and more efficient compared to the EMI scanners as it had 30 photomultiplier tubes that enhanced its detection capabilities (Masood, Kadioglu, & Currier, 2019). Much of the commercial ACTA scanners were from the Pfizer Company that acquired the patent and prototype from Georgetown University. The company manufactured numerous such scanners and changed its name to 200FS.

Today, the CT scan and related technology are amongst the critical strides in the realm of medicine. A significant pace in the development is that of the late 1990s that involved breaking down the technology into two distinct parts, the Fixed CT scans and the Portable CT scans (Masood, Kadioglu, & Currier, 2019). The distinction has enhanced massive flexibility in the use of the CT scan. The CT scans have also improved in terms of accuracy, speed, efficiency, comfort to the patients, slice count, and the quality of the scans and image outputs. The CT scans can examine delicate and complex parts of the body, such as cardiac imaging. As a result, doctors are now able to explore parts faster obtaining high-resolution scans that enable accurate and precise diagnosis. The advancement in technology has led to increased faster and effective anatomy study which helps in the diagnosis and treatment process. The high speeds in the CT scan procedures are essential in the eradication of objects from patients' movements including breathing activities as well as peristalsis. Therefore, extensive research in the field has brought about relaxation and patient-friendly procedures.

References

Masood, F., Kadioglu, O., & Currier, G. F. (2019). History, Technique, and Safety. In Craniofacial 3D Imaging (pp. 3-21). Springer, Cham.

Vega, J., Diaz, G. U., Castro, J. J. B., Luque, V. S. M., Corbalan, T., & Herrero, P. C. (2017, March). Sir Godfrey Hounsfield and the history of Computer Tomography. European Congress of Radiology 2017.

Wijdicks, E. F. (2018). The first CT scan of the brain: entering the neurologic information age. Neurocritical care, 28(3), 273-275.