XRay Sonograms and MRI Technology Nicole Chiarella CIT1

X-Ray, Sonograms, and MRI Technology Nicole Chiarella CIT-1

X-Rays • A relatively high-energy photon having a wavelength in the approximate range from 0. 01 to 10 nanometers. • A stream of such photons, used for their penetrating power in radiography, radiology, radiotherapy, and scientific research. Often used in the plural. Also called roentgen ray.

Sonograms • The picture formed by the pattern of echoes from an ultra sound. • Is the readily usable graph of the frequency bands (formants) produced by the sound spectrograph.

MRI • The abbreviated term for magnetic resonance imaging. MRI uses a large circular magnet and radio waves to generate signals from atoms in the body. These signals are used to construct images of internal structures.

Pros and Cons of X-Rays • Pros: • Cons: • They let doctors peer inside a patient without any surgery. • It's much easier and safer to look at a broken bone using Xrays • The doctors and patients started developing radiation sickness. • X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation • An X-ray hits an atom, it can knock electrons off the atom to create an ion, an electricallycharged atom. • An ion's electrical charge can lead to unnatural chemical reactions inside cells. X-Ray Radiation

Pros and Cons of Sonograms • Pros: • Cons: • Ultrasound examinations are non-invasive • Ultrasound methods are relatively inexpensive, quick and convenient • No harmful effects have been detected • Ultrasound is particularly suited to imaging soft tissues • The major disadvantage is that the resolution of images is often limited. • Ultrasound is reflected very strongly on passing from tissue to gas, or vice versa. • Ultrasound also does not pass well through bone

Pros and Cons of MRIs • Pros: • MRI provides information that differs from other imaging modalities • MR image acquisition does not use ionizing radiation. • Patient acceptability is high. • Cons: • The small bore of the magnet, some patients experience claustrophobia. • Patient throughput is slow compared with other imaging modalities. • MRI units require careful sitting and shielding.

X-Ray Availability X-Rays can be taken at a local hospital or at some pediatricians offices.

Sonogram Availability • You can get a ultrasound of your stomach done when you are pregnant and would like to see how far along you are with your child. • This can get done at a hospital or your baby doctor.

MRI Availability • You must schedule an appointment to get an MRI. • There are now stand up MRIs rather than laying down. • They try and make it more enjoyable when getting an MRI by playing music or soothing sounds.

The Technology • “It is commonly accepted that advances in technology have been one of the most important drivers of health care spending growth over the past several decades. • We report on relationships between technology availability and spending at several levels, from spending on the particular technology in question to overall health care spending. ”

MRIs

X-Ray Machine

Sonogram Machine

Resources • http: //dir. nhlbi. nih. gov/labs/lce/cmri/mriadvantages-limitation. asp • http: //www. drgdiaz. com/qanda. shtml • http: //content. healthaffairs. org/cgi/content/f ull/hlthaff. w 3. 537 v 1/DC 2