Introduction
Medical Imaging Techniques:In this day and age, scientific advances are helping practitioners in the field of medical science to conquer complex medical conditions. Many tools and processes are used to achieve a diagnosis of health complications and related particular body parts or organ systems, utilizing technological devices such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and various others. Widespread usage of imaging technology made these tools essential for identifying complex medical complications and features in the context of various medical specialties, such as cardiology or neurology. Many imaging modalities have emerged so far, and experts are regularly introducing advanced imaging methods and modifications. With these state-of-the-art imaging tools, currently, diagnostics increments are often beneficial. Instead of conventional biopsy, they make it easier to look inside the patient where abnormalities are suspected, thereby reducing patient discomfort and minimizing costs.
Types of Medical Imaging Techniques
Medical imaging has emerged as an important tool in various medical disciplines to supplement and complement the information available from conventional clinical examination. There is a great need to introduce medical imaging technologies to a large community of biologists, biophysicists, and other scientists already involved in various medical activities. The rapid and steadfast growth in medical imaging modalities provides new opportunities for improving sensitivity, resolution, and contrast of imaging for better disease diagnosis. In addition, the imaging modalities can also be utilized for obtaining crucial information regarding disease prognosis.
1. X-ray vector imaging: X-ray vector imaging (XVI) techniques are promising modalities for performing full-dose tomographic imaging of soft tissue structures.
2. Diffraction enhanced imaging: DEI techniques are X-ray based imaging modalities that can provide high-quality images. DEI techniques include multiple imaging techniques for tumor detection and for examining soft tissues.
3. Computed tomography: CT imaging modalities deal with tomography and can provide pseudo-solid level distinctions for tiny nodules and for tissues abutting the diaphragm.
4. Cone beam CT: CBCT is a modification of traditional CT. Unlike traditional CT techniques, CBCT employs a circular geometry for data scan acquisition.
5. Positron emission tomography: PET is a specialized imaging technique that plays a key role in the evaluation of oncologic, neurologic, and cardiology patients. The image reconstruction performed through PET can provide sufficient spatial resolution.
6. Single photon emission computed tomography: SPECT is used to focus on myocardial perfusion images with continuous metabolism mapping of myocardial ischemia and viable myocardium.
7. Ultrasound imaging: Ultrasound is another non-invasive diagnostic tool.
8. Infrared imaging: IR imaging is based on the characteristics of the body. This imaging technique can measure the surface temperature for specific applications.
Advantages and Limitations of Medical Imaging Techniques
Medical imaging techniques provide a non-invasive and non-destructive tool for diagnosing diseases. The major advantage of medical imaging is its non-invasive nature. Medical imaging enables visualization of internal structures, continuous observation of internal changes of functional states, and quantitative analysis. In addition, medical imaging aids in multi-disciplinary diagnosis and concurrent diagnoses of systemic anomalies. At present, it has been well recognized as a critical diagnosis tool in physician’s professional training. However, every technology has its limitations and medical imaging is no exception. Medical imaging can produce a side effect including exposure to harmful ionizing radiation. The challenge is to optimize medical usage versus risk. In general, radiation associated with current imaging techniques is considered small relative to the benefits it provides. For instance, several studies have shown the absolute risk is small for the majority of patients and safe radiation exposure is lower than previously considered.
Every imaging technique has its distinct limitations; hence they should be systematically cross-compared. A combined application of multimodality imaging is worth considering to minimize the trouble in individual imaging applications while benefiting from their each particular advantages.
A fundamental limitation of imaging techniques includes a trade-off existing between resolution and field of view. It is difficult to obtain high resolution over a large field of view with just a single imaging technique. Small area detectors with high spatial resolution have been developed but still cannot cover the large field of view in currently available devices. Therefore, it is preferable to develop a multi-modality system to integrate a variety of medical imaging techniques in achieving better results for the purpose of medical diagnosis or preclinical research. It is desirable to use a combination of the different types of image modalities. It is worth noting that the majority of these multi-modality instruments were stacked from a series of available imaging devices affiliated the same modality. An even better 3D and 4D imaging can be achieved by integrating all existing imaging capacities of different existing systems. In this case, a special hybrid system with multi-modality imaging techniques makes sense.
Conclusion and Summary
Medical imaging techniques offer an efficient, noninvasive, and rapid method to diagnose a plethora of diseases. Each imaging technique has its own set of advantages and is specialized to certain tissue types and applications. X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound imaging techniques are frequently utilized for diagnostics and drug therapy evaluation. Each of these techniques uses a different imaging modality based on the interaction between photons or waves and biological tissues to generate the contrast for detecting a pathology. Specific contrast agents can also be incorporated with some imaging techniques to enhance tissue specificity, increase signal-to-noise ratios, and also improve contrast. Nuclear imaging also makes use of different imaging modalities based on gamma radiation emitted by the human body following administration of a radiotracer isotope. Imaging techniques have a significant role to play in research and in healthcare as they enable pathologies to be diagnosed easily, rapidly, and without surgical intervention. Such technology will be extremely useful in challenging the current limitation of state-of-the-art and will contribute to early diagnosis, which is essential to achieve a favorable prognosis for patients.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICINE ORGANIZATION IHMO
