Course Topics

Day 1

• CT Instrumentation (Including: Radiation Physics and Informatics)

• CT Physics (Including: Reconstruction, Data Acquisition, Image Display, and Processing with Post-Processing)

• CT Image Quality (Including Artifacts)

Day 2

• Patient Care (Including Radiation Safety)

• CT Procedures

• CT Anatomy and Pathology

Course Objectives 

1. At the conclusion of this course, the participant should be able to: 

2. Describe the history of Computed Tomography (CT) imaging and the components of a typical system.  

3. Review the characteristics of radiation and the interaction of x-rays with matter.  

4. Define CT terms pertaining to attenuation, scanning, displaying and annotating an image.  

5. Describe the CT computer data processing steps, the function of data acquisition system and the array processor.  

6. Identify and define algorithms and kernel settings to include raw data, image data, and scan data.  

7. Describe the types of CT detectors, their function, location, and common materials use in those detectors 

8. Explain post processing techniques to include the difference between reconstructing and reformatting an image.  

9. Identify the scan factors and explain how they affect image quality to include the steps needed to assure high image quality.  

10. Describe the types of artifacts, their appearance on images, and how they may be eliminated or reduced.  

11. Describe how the selection of scan factors can affect patient dose and the correct application of each.  

12. Describe the scanner design that led to the development of spiral and multi-slice CT and the differences between conventional spiral and multi-slice CT.  

13. List and describe current data storage techniques. 

14. Explain several types and sizes of commonly used catheters. 

15. Describe the proper method of site selection utilized for an injection of a IV contrast agent. 

16. Explain the steps involved in a proper venipuncture technique. 

17. Describe the types of contrast media utilized for CT examinations. 

18. Explain the indications and contraindications of the contrast media utilized for CT scanning procedures. 

19. Explain the basic difference between non-ionic and ionic contrast media. 

20. Discuss the symptoms and categories of anaphylactoid reactions as well as the associated treatments and relative drug pharmacology. 

21. Describe several laboratory tests that are commonly associated with computed tomography. 

22. Discuss the basic rules of radiation safety. 

23. Identify several factors that effect radiation dose in CT. 

24. Discuss several ways of reducing radiation dose. 

25. Define osmolality and viscosity. 

26. Explain common techniques and procedures for the following anatomical regions, the head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, spine, and musculoskeletal system. 

27. Identify basic positioning landmarks to computed tomography imaging of the head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, spine, and musculoskeletal system. 

28. Explain patient care procedures including IV procedures, contrast agents, and radiation safety, and pharmacology for computed tomography. 

29. Describe various methods of CT data acquisition including helical and multi-slice CT 

30. Explain the components of image display, including pixel, voxel, matrix, field of view, CT numbers, windowing functions, raw data, and image data. 

31. Describe several methods of image reconstruction. 

32. Relate factors that affect resolution, noise, and radiation dose. 

33. Describe artifacts commonly associated with CT images. 

34. Discuss various ways of balancing the factors that control image quality. 

35. Discuss ways of reducing artifacts and radiation dose while maintaining acceptable image    quality. 

36. Explain several methods of quantifying resolution.