With the tremendous advances that the medical field makes each year, it is clear that many medical diagnoses and treatments will become easier and faster in the future. For many of its feats in fighting disease, the medical field owes it to technology. The digital imaging system is one of those results of the use of technology in the medical field. It is the creation of detailed and descriptive images of parts of the body and internal organs for medical diagnosis, analysis and treatment.
Today, medical imaging has become an important part of medicine and clinical practices. In fact, in medical institutions, this has become one of the main sub-disciplines for courses such as biomedical engineering, medical physics, or even general medicine. Not that all, the techniques used in medical imaging have become useful for scientific and industrial research and study as well.
Today there are different types of imaging systems for different clinical purposes. From X-rays to the most complicated scanning procedures, medical images have different levels of complexity and give you results when studying and deciding on treatments. Here are some common examples of medical imaging:
• Radiography (X-rays)
Due to its affordability and high resolution, radiography is one of the oldest and most common forms of imaging systems today. Here X-rays are sent through the body to check the integrity of the bone structure. Any fracture or damage to the bones is detected through an X-ray.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging, as it is commonly called, is used to detect problems with the spine and the brain mainly. It uses electromagnetic fields and radio frequency signals to create an image on a connected computer. An MRI is relatively healthy as it does not involve ionizing radiation and therefore no related health hazards have been detected so far. Creates 3D block images so that a more detailed diagnosis of the photographed body part is possible.
• Thermography
The thermographic imaging system works on the principle that a part of the body affected by cancer would have a higher temperature than the other parts of the body. Through extremely precise cameras, this digital imaging system detects these temperature variations and, therefore, detects the presence or probability of cancer.
• Computed tomography (CT)
Computed tomography, or computed tomography, as it is widely known, creates 2D images of a thin section of a body using X-ray technology and a connected computer. Here the patient is at increased risk of health risks as he is surrounded by a ring of detectors that is used to diagnose the disease. It is commonly used for anatomical images and during plastic surgeries.
• Ultrasound
As the name suggests, ultrasound or ultrasound is an imaging system that uses high-frequency sound waves to emit echoes in a particular part of the body that are then converted into an anatomical image that is displayed on a connected video screen. Its common use is to monitor the growth of a fetus in the mother’s womb and detect growth in the gallbladder and kidneys.
• Nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine uses isotopes and radioactive materials to diagnose disease or growth. It is also known as molecular imaging and is used in the oncology, cardiology, and neurology divisions of medicine. Activities that are not normal within the body are detected with gamma rays and cameras. It is used to find tumors in the body.
Today, doctors around the world use digital imaging systems to detect and treat disease. These systems help in the accurate study of diseases and therefore help in the correct treatment and speedy recovery of the patient. Yet another benefit from the field of science and technology, imaging systems have become ubiquitous and have saved the lives of many people.