How Do CAT Scans Work?

An X-ray is useful if you need to detect a brokenperson to look at all those images an interpret them as
bone or a damaged tooth. However, if you need3D pictures. That 's when the computer comes in. It
further investigation, like seeing an organ that is hiddenprocesses the entire sequence of images and build a
behind bone, a CAT scan will do the trick. CAT scan,composite picture of the inside of the patient.
also called CT scan, comes from Computerized (axial)Soft tissue, including many organs, do not normally
Tomography. A tomography is an image that isshow up in an X-ray image. The CAT scan however
collected in sections, and axial means that it 's made alluses contrast to detect problems with the organs.
around, from every direction. So CAT scan is exactlyBefore the CT, the patient is given a contrast agent or
what it sounds like: a series of images taken fromcontrast dye, a soluble material that absorbs X-rays.
different directions and then combined by a computer.The dye is designed to concentrate in the organ about
In a CAT scan, an X-ray beam moves in a full circleto be scanned, or to remain in the blood in order to
around the part of the body that needs to be scanned.study arteries or veins.
When scanning, it takes hundreds of X-ray imagesNeedless to say, the CAT scan plays a great role in
from many different angles. And it 's not just forthe detection and diagnosis of certain problems with
scanning one organ or another. You can get a fullthe organs. Medicine has made great progress
body scan, where the scanner moves from head tocompared to the past, and now we can benefit from
toe and takes a set of images, each of the like apowerful tools that allow accurate diagnoses and
single cross-section of the person.treatments, even for hidden parts of the body.
As you can imagine, it would be impossible for a