Medical Imaging Equipment - Essay Example

Medical Imaging Equipment Introduction Medical imaging is a technological development resulting from a series of studies that seek to develop images of the human body in medical spheres. The need to develop images of the human body resulted from the increased need for better medical procedures. So far, there are several methods of developing images of the human body in various types of medical operations. Among the medical functions that require the exposure of the internal organs of the human body are diagnosis of diseases, medical science and pathology among many others. The effectiveness of the above indicated procedures rely on the effectiveness of the imaging devices to produce clear and realistic images of the internal anatomy of the human body. Several imagining equipment produce images of different clarity, intensity and employ diverse technologies appropriate for specific medical functions and the use of such have improved the quality of health services as discussed in the essay below. Diagnosis refers to an interactive medical procedure through which a doctor determines the patient’s condition. The process relies on the patient’s ability to describe his condition and successive tests the doctor carries out on the blood samples of the patients. The development of different medical imaging equipment have further improved the quality and efficacy of the diagnosis as the resultant images help depict the internal organs of the body thereby making it possible for the doctors to view the nature and extent of the damage of the tissues and organs. Additionally, the quality of medical services relies on a series of studies on the human body thereby developing appropriate treatments for different ailments. The use of medical imaging equipment in laboratories have provided researches with increased view of the internal organs and tissues of the human body thereby facilitating the development of knowledge and technical knowhow that have bettered the practice of medicine. Pathology on the other hand refers to investigation of a dead body with the view of determining the cause of the death. Investigations on the dead have increasingly become important in the contemporary society thereby increasing the demand on different medical imaging equipment. The process seeks to develop the cause of the death a feature that may help expedite investigations into murders and an understanding of a disease thereby influencing the treatment of such. Through the use different medical imaging equipment, pathologists all over the world continue to provide high quality investigations and corroborations of their discoveries on the cause of deaths thereby helping investigators and establishing the patterns of damages on tissues and organs by diseases (Hajnal, Hawkes & Hill, 2001). This has helped improved the effectiveness of medical practice as they have expedited the process and improved the quality and reliability of such services. Types of medical imaging equipment and technologies The discussion above analyzes the roles and importance of medical imaging technology on the contemporary medicine. The demand for medical imaging has increased in the modern society as doctors rely on the evidence of such technologies to perform various important medical functions. The accuracy and clarity of an image improves the quality of a medical procedure since the doctors obtain better view of the arrangement of the organs and tissues within the body. This helps them quantifying the need for medical operations and informing on the appropriateness of a specific medical procedure that limits will limit the damage of the body thus earning a higher success rate. Among the technologies and imaging equipment used in the modern practice of medicine, include radiography, elstography, photocaustic imaging and ultrasound among many others as discussed below. Radiography Radiography is one of the most common type of medical imaging technology; the technology employs the use of different types of X-rays. It involves both fluoroscopy and projection radiographs that provide 2D images of some of the most delicate and hidden organs of the human body. Among the equipment using the technology, include the CT scan and the X ray machines. The technology provides clear images of some of the most delicate parts of the body such as the chest cavity and the head. Despite the development of other better technologies including the 3D tomography, the use of radiography has remained relevant especially in poor societies owing to its low cost (Erickson & Jack, 2001). Additionally, the technology produces clear images owing to the high resolutions and low radiation dosages. Exposure to X-rays is harmful to the human tissues, the intensity of the radiation dosages that any type of scan exposes the body to have therefore become an essential issue of discussion and consideration in the medical spheres. An imaging equipment must therefore promise minimal harm arising from the exposure to the types of the radiations and radiography is one of the medical imaging technologies that exposes the body to minimal radiations and therefore safe enough. The technology is one of the most popular in the industry and is used even in other non-medical industries such as in enhancing the security at airports. The technology promises increased penetration of the human body with minimal exposure to radiation a feature that improves its relevance in the practice. Fluoroscopy uses such contrast media as iodine, barium and air to produce instantaneous images of the interior structures of the human body. The technology employs steady and low dose application of X rays to develop such images on a screen. The images are of clear and provide details owing to the high resolution. Projection radiographs also use such radio-opaque media as barium to determine the extent and types of fracture of the bones in the human body. The technology also uses X rays to project the clear images on a screen (Udupa & Herman, 2000). Magnetic resonance imaging The technology originally referred to as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is a type of electronic scanner that uses powerful magnets to excite and polarize the nuclei of hydrogen, a major component of the water molecules found in human tissues to produce low but detectable signals. The scanner analyzes the patterns of such signals thereby developing realistic images of the internal organs and tissues of the human body. The MRI machine is used in scanning some of the most delicate parts of the body such as the brain and the stomach and promises higher accuracy and details of the internal anatomy of the human body. Additionally, the machine currently produces 3D images a feature that has improved the relevance of the technology in the evolving technologies. The machine safeguards the clarity and resolution of the images thereby improving the relevance of the machine in the practice of medicine. The MRI machine uses a selective technology that improves its appropriateness and preference in the practice. The machine produces specific radio frequencies that only bind to the hydrogen in the tissues and organs of the body. This makes the technology a preference especially in the investigation of softer tissues in which the X rays may not produce clear images. As discussed above, X-rays relies on the strength and opaqueness of a bone to block the rays thereby developing an image. This makes X-rays irrelevant in the investigation of softer tissues and organs that do not possess such hard attributes to block the rays. In such cases, practitioners rely on the MRI technology, which relies water, a major component of the body. Ultra sound The use of ultra sound has also become popular especially in the investigation of fetus in pregnant women. The technology that relies on the high frequency waves of broadband waves produced by different organs in the body is accurate enough to reveal the sex of the fetus in the womb of a woman. The technology analyses the frequency of the sound produced by different organs in the body in megahertz thereby producing realistic 3D images of such organs. Different organs in the body produce such high frequency sound in their daily operations. The technology is famous in the study of moving structures within the human body such include the human heart, muscles, tendons, bladders and blood vessels among many others. By observing the high frequency sounds emitted by such structures owing to the movement in tem, the technology develops realistic 3D images (Dhawan, 2003). The technology has become popular owing to its strengths over both the MRI and radiography. Among its advantages is fact that it does not produce any iodizing radiation. This implies that the technology presents minimal harm to the fragile structures it investigates. The fetus is one of the most fragile of the structures the technology helps monitor. Exposing a fetus to iodizing radiations may result in permanent damage of its tissues and organs. The use of Ultra sound thus provides a safe remedy to the study of both the uterus and the positioning of the fetus thereby aiding safe delivery of babies. Other additional advantage of the technology is the fact that it enables the real time study of the moving structures. Through a dedicated study of thee sound patterns, medical practitioners make concerted observations of the organs for hours while they function thereby developing a specific pattern in their malfunction. Conclusion In retrospect, the advancement of technology in medical studies has resulted in the numerous imaging technologies that have helped improve the quality of health care in the contemporary society. Different imaging technologies present specific advantages. Among the most common imaging technologies are the radiography and the MRI scanners. The two technologies have tested precision and clarity levels that sustain the study of the human anatomy. Using such technologies, doctors have improved the quality of their diagnosis of diseases owing to the fact that they have an increased visibility of the arrangement of the organs in the human body. The development of such technologies further sustain the development of information on the practice since the technologies foster studies in the human anatomy by providing visual aid of the internal structures. While some of such technologies have disadvantages arising from exposure to radiations, others are safer and therefore preferred in functions that are more precarious. References Dhawan, P. A. (2003). Medical Imaging Analysis. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience Publication. Erickson, B. J & Jack, C. R. (2001). "Correlation of single photon emission CT with MR image data using fiduciary markers". American Journal of Neuroradiology, Vol 14, Issue 3 713 20. Hajnal, J. V., Hawkes, D. J., & Hill, D. L. (2001). Medical Image Registration. New York: CRC Press. Udupa, J.K. & Herman, G. T. (2000). 3D Imaging in Medicine, 2nd Edition. New York: CRC Press. Read More