CT Scan:A computed tomography (CT) scan is a sophisticated technique that produces detailed images of internal organs. Unlike standard X-rays, a CT scan can display anatomical details not typically visible. In this process, an X-ray tube rotates quickly around the patient, and the X-rays are captured by numerous detectors after passing through the body. These detectors, linked to advanced computers, generate images through image processing. Although the radiation dose from a CT scanner is significantly higher than that of a conventional X-ray, the detailed information it provides is often indispensable. CT images, or tomograms, can be as thin as one millimeter or less, allowing them to be viewed in various planes and even as 3-D images. The invention of the CT scanner is credited to British engineer Godfrey N. Hounsfield (later Sir Godfrey) and South African-born physicist Alan Cormack, who became an American citizen. By 1979, CT scanning was widely used, the same year Hounsfield and Cormack received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking work. The CT scan is also referred to as a CAT (computed axial tomography) scan.
