Question

The ______moves during a helical scan on a third generation scanner?

1) x-ray tube
2) patient table
3) detector elements

Answer 1

In a third-generation CT scanner, both the X-ray tube and detector elements move as they rotate around the patient during a helical scan.

Step-by-step explanation:

During a helical scan on a third-generation scanner, it is the x-ray tube and detector elements that move. In a computed tomography (CT), also known as computed axial tomography (CAT) scanner, the X-ray tube and detectors are mechanically attached and rotate together around the patient to capture images from multiple angles. This movement, in conjunction with the patient moving through the scanner on a table, allows the acquisition of detailed images of the body from different directions, which can then be processed to create highly detailed cross-sectional images or even three-dimensional reconstructions. This technology, developed by G. Hounsfield and A. Cormack, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1979, represents a significant advancement over traditional two-dimensional X-ray images.