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Anatomical data
The anatomical data that includes the size of the tumour, location of the tumour
and shape of the tumour is captured using the Computed Tomography (CT) scanner
inside the PET/CT machine. The way it captures the images is explained below:
- During the Computed Tomography scan, the framework housing all the instruments
the x-ray tube moves around the patient's body.
- One rotation takes about one second during which the x-ray tube emits a
fan-like beam of x-rays onto the patient. These beams can be anywhere from
1 millimeter to 10 millimeters thick.
- Detectors on the one side of the patient record the x-rays from the section
of the patient's body being examined. Each x-ray leaves the patients body
as an x-ray "snapshot", showing one position (angle). Many different "snapshots"
(angles) are collected during one complete rotation.
- The data from all of the X-rays is sent to a special computer, which uses
equations to from the “snapshots” to form three-dimensional cross-sectional
images of the scanned areas. The information is then sent to the PET scanner
computer that can use the CT scans with the PET scans to create a detailed
picture.
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