This section provides overview, applications, and principles of ct scanners. Also, please take a look at the list of 6 ct scanner manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
A CT scanner is a computed tomography scanner. CT scanners are broadly classified into two types, medical CT scanners used in imaging for the human body and animals and industrial CT scanners used for nondestructive testing and product shipment inspection.
CT scanners are used in the medical field for imaging the human body and animals, typically in relation to diagnosing abnormalities in the brain and lungs, and in the industrial field for non-destructive testing and the shipping inspection of products.
In the industrial field, it is commonly used to detect the internal structure of products to measure the internal dimensions of wiring, elucidate the internal state of forged products, measurement errors, and detect the alignment of fibers. When used in the medical field, X-ray output must be suppressed to avoid excessive exposure to radiation, but when used for industrial applications, X-ray output can be increased without any problem, thus enabling information to be obtained with higher precision than in medical applications.
A CT scanner consists of an X-ray irradiator, a detector, and an image processor that converts the detected data into an image. The principle of a CT scanner is similar to that of an X-ray.
Since each material absorbs X-rays differently (X-ray absorption coefficient), when X-rays are irradiated to an object to be inspected, they penetrate at different rates depending on the material. Using this principle, we irradiate an object to be inspected with X-rays and detect different transmission doses for each part of the object to be inspected. The general principle is to create an image by image processing based on this detection data.
The major difference between X-rays and CT scanners is that X-rays are irradiated from one direction on the specimen, whereas CT scanners irradiate X-rays from various directions on the specimen. For this reason, x-rays produce only flat images based on two-dimensional data, while a CT scanner uses three-dimensional data and can produce a series of images of the specimen sliced in a circle at multiple locations, as well as images and movies that are composed of three dimensions.
Two physical phenomena are used in CT scanner scans Compton scattering and the photoelectric effect.
1. Compton Scattering
This occurs when X-rays collide with electrons, imparting some of the energy of the X-rays to the electrons, causing them to be blown away from their atomic orbits and reducing the energy of the X-rays.
2. Photoelectric Effect
This occurs when X-rays collide with electrons, and all the energy of the X-rays is absorbed by the electrons, causing the electrons to be blown away from their atomic orbits and the X-rays to disappear.
There are two main types of CT scanner applications: medical and industrial. The differences between them are explained from the following perspectives.
In the industrial CT scanner, the X-ray irradiator and detector are fixed relative to each other, and the part to be inspected is placed between them. By rotating the part on which the object to be inspected is placed, the object itself is rotated for inspection.
Therefore, depending on the size of the object to be inspected, industrial CT scanners can be made smaller. In addition, industrial CT scanners are equipped with an X-ray leakage cabinet to confine X-rays inside the device, which also makes it possible to reduce the size of the scanner.
In both medical and industrial CT scanners, there are two types of CT scanners: one with a single row of detectors along the X-ray transmission plane in the width direction of the object to be inspected and another with multiple rows of detectors along the length direction of the object to be inspected. The one with multiple rows of detectors can acquire data for each row at a time, which makes it possible to acquire data faster than the one with only one row.
In industrial CT scanners, multiple-row scanners are more suitable because efficiency is more important. Medical CT scanners are also often used because the faster the examination can be completed, the less burden is placed on the patient.
CT scans are widely used for everything from examination to diagnosis and even medical treatment, although the image of CT scans is that they are used to find cancer. On the other hand, there is a risk of cancer from CT scans, and it is necessary to understand the risks when CT scans are performed fully.
CT scans are used for a wide range of purposes from diagnosis to treatment, including monitoring for cancer recurrence, determining treatment options for cancer, developing biopsy strategies and treatment plans, obtaining information on cancer size and stage, diagnosing tumors, and detecting abnormal cancer growths. However, CT scans are not free from the risk of causing cancer due to the irradiation of X-rays.
However, the risk of developing cancer from a single CT scan is considered low, and the risk of not undergoing a CT scan is much higher than the risk of undergoing a CT scan.
The main difference between CT and MRI is the principle of measurement. CT scanners form images based on differences in the transmission of X-rays through different materials, as described above, whereas MRI produces images based on magnetic resonance in materials.
CT scans benefit from short acquisition times and the ease with which tomographic images can be obtained and are more indicated for emergency head lesions (such as suspected bleeding). It is highly indicated for emergency head lesions (e.g., suspected hemorrhage), and it can also image bone.
On the other hand, CT is inferior to MRI in terms of radiation exposure and differences in density between lesions and normal tissue. Another advantage is that any tomographic image can be obtained, and images of blood vessels can be obtained without the use of contrast media. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that those with implanted devices in the body cannot be examined.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Ranking as of January 2023 in United States
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | DirectMed Parts & Service, LLC | 50% |
2 | Ryoei USA | 50% |
Ranking as of January 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | DirectMed Parts & Service, LLC | 50% |
2 | Ryoei USA | 50% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the ct scanner page as of January 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
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