Electronic Military & Defense magazine was developed for engineers, program managers, project managers, and those involved in the design and development of electronic and electro-optic systems for military, defense, and aerospace applications.
Issue link: https://electronicsmilitarydefense.epubxp.com/i/350588
Technology Bringing Radiology And X-ray Imaging To The Wounded Warrior The evolution of X-ray imaging by Mark Evans, Tom Carrell, Kristin Schmiedehausen, and Gil Travish T he simple 2D X-ray remains the staple of medical diagnostic imaging, even after over a century of technical and clinical development. While more advanced imaging modalities such as computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) can offer the clinician enhanced diagnostic insights, these 3D imaging methods come at the expense of increased size and weight, preparation and acquisition time, complexity, and (often) radiation dose. So, planar radiology still offers the most rapid and simplest means of diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions and is often the first-line imaging technique in any type of emergency situation. In a typical planar radiology system, X-rays are generated in a vacuum tube powered by a high voltage generator, which produces a cone of X-rays; it is effectively a point source. The X-ray source is typically big, heavy, and fragile. The X-rays traverse the patient, and the resulting attenuated beams are intercepted by a detector positioned directly behind the body part to be imaged. The transformation from the traditional X-ray film to digital detectors has occurred within the last two decades, which led to the elimination of process chemicals, time delays for developing, and to the arrival of nearly instantaneous image viewing, transmission, and storage. Now a similar transformation is set to occur for the X-ray source (Figure 1). A transition from the traditional X-ray tube to an innovative flat panel source could have enormous impact on the mobility and versatility of radiology and has the potential to revolutionize emergency field medicine outside a hospital setting (Figure 2). The lightweight flat-panel source would allow for the creation of a truly portable X-ray device that could be used in-field for military settings. Emergency situations often require fast treatment and triage decisions — currently based on clinical assessment alone — and many would benefit tremendously from complementary imaging information. A portable X-ray device could provide an immediate diagnosis — a potentially instrumental capability for further treatment and the survival of the patient. This is especially applicable to military medical units, such as Role 1 and Role 2 support units and Forward Surgical Teams (US DoD, 2011) (Nato, 1997), as well as to disaster relief teams, and others. Electronic Military & Defense Annual Resource, 4th Edition 8 Figure 1: From film to digital radiography (top); from tube to flat-panel source (bottom) Figure 2: Traditional vs. flat-panel X-ray source geometries: Traditional sources employ a single cone with a narrow angle of emission and a long distance to the body in order to avoid geometric distortion and to provide sufficient coverage area, while flat-panel sources use arrays of emitters to cover large areas with relatively small "stand-off" distances. (Anatomical drawing used with permission of Concept Cookie http://cgcookie.com/concept/.)