Final answer:
Fourth-generation CT scanners feature a rotate-rotate configuration. The scanning process involves the x-ray tube and detector array rotating together to produce detailed 3D images.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fourth-generation CT scanners utilize a rotate-rotate tube-detector configuration. This innovative design entails both the x-ray tube and the detector array that are mechanically attached to each other, rotating together around the patient during the scanning process. As the system rotates, multiple images are captured from various angles, which complex computer image processing then uses to create highly-detailed, three-dimensional images of the patient's body. This level of imaging capability represents a significant advancement over traditional two-dimensional x-ray techniques and is a product of the pioneering work by Nobel prize laureates G. Hounsfield and A. Cormack.