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Medical Imaging: Physics Behind CT and PET Scans
- CT scans use rotating X-ray beams to create detailed cross-sectional images.
- Computers reconstruct these slices into 3D pictures of the body.
- CT is excellent for spotting fractures, tumors, and internal bleeding.
- PET scans track radioactive tracers injected into the body.
- These tracers emit positrons that collide with electrons, producing gamma rays.
- Detectors capture the gamma rays to map biological processes in real time.
- PET is especially powerful for studying cancer, heart disease, and brain activity.
- Combining PET with CT merges anatomy and function in one scan.
- Both methods rely on advanced physics to turn invisible signals into images.
- CT and PET showcase how physics revolutionizes modern diagnostics.