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What are the different types of thermal imaging?

What are the major different types of medical imaging?

  • When is each used and for what purpose?

  • Answer:

    Medical imaging generally comes under 2 broad categories. The first is the imaging of the anatomy. This sub-field has been heavily explored in the last century, and modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are generally used if you need resolutions of 50-100 microns, time is not a factor, and the anatomy being imaged is not actively moving (although there are various techniques to correct for this). MRI is sometimes preferred for its strength in discerning soft tissues such as white and gray matter in the brain, and lack of ionizing x-ray radiation. Additional chemical compounds (often iodine-based) known as contrast agents can be injected into the subject to give CT this additional contrast. On the other end of the anatomical imaging spectrum is ultrasound, which can give real-time (video) imaging at high refresh rates with relatively rubbish resolution of about 1 mm, also with no harmful radiation. In between is an exciting new field known as optical coherence tomography (OCT) which offers refresh rates comparable to ultrasound but with micron-level resolution, although only at very shallow depths within a body. The second is imaging of 'function', rather than anatomy, also known as 'metabolic imaging'. Single photon emisson computed tomography (SPECT), functional MRI (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are techniques for imaging organ function, such as unusual glucose uptake, which can be a precursor for cancer. These techniques usually have relatively poor resolution of about 2 mm or higher, and the lack of anatomical landmarks can make diagnosis difficult. Attempts to overlap functional images with anatomical images (known as co-registration) have had limited success. Most recently, there has been a significant breakthrough in combining the image acquisition hardware of anatomical and functional imaging into a single device, resulting in modalities such as PET-CT, SPECT-CT and PET-MRI, which result in perfectly aligned anatomical and functional images, greatly easing the jobs of oncologists and research scientists alike.

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There is also in-vivo microscopy images that can image vessels/neurons at the micron scale. This helps determine pharmacological responses to drugs in real-time for diabetes, strokes, etc. Ankur

Ankur Kumar

X-ray based methods of medical imaging include conventional X-ray, computed tomography (CT) andmammography. To enhance the X-ray image, contrast agents can be used for example for angiographyexaminations. Molecular imaging is used in nuclear medicine and uses a variety of methods to visualize biological processes taking place in the cells of organisms. Small amounts of radioactive markers, called radiopharmaceuticals, are used for molecular imaging. Other types of medical imaging are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging. Unlike conventional X-ray, CT and Molecular Imaging, MRI and ultrasound operate without ionizing radiation. MRI uses strong magnetic fields, which produce no known irreversible biological effects in humans.

Alvin Anderson

It  is difficult to find explanations for basics of medical imaging and the  differences between techniques and thier uses.  This book chapter has been written for someone with no  prior knowledge or experience.  http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-84882-710-3_1 Although  the book is on medical imaging in clinical trials, this chapter gives a  general over-view that covers all the main modalities.  (I am one of the co-authors, so I am not trying to promote this, just that this chapter was designed to answer this type of question).  In a quick answer it is difficult to cover all the modalities: X-ray, angiography, CT, QCT, DXA, MRI (and all the scan sequences), fMRI, DCE MRI, SPECT, PET, bone scans, Ultrasound, including echo, IVUS, and (color) Doppler., fundus photography, OCT.

Colin Miller

Common types of Imaging include the following: Common types of imaging include the follwing: plain X-ray X-rays are waves that have a relatively high frequency along the electromagnetic spectrum. They are absorbed or transmitted by different body tissues in varying amounts, producing different shades of black and white on an x-ray image. computed tomography (CT) nuclear medicine imaging ultrasound Ultrasound waves have a frequency just beyond that of audible sound. Similar to sonar used by submarines, these waves are emitted and bounce back once they strike an object. As a clinical tool, ultrasound imaging (ultrasonography) can detect differences between solid and liquid material in the body. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), unlike x-ray imaging, does not use radiation. Instead, MRI works based on magnetic waves and the spin of protons. Data is processed by a computer to form the images that clinicians use. Source: http://www.imagingoncall.com/

Mike Copper

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