Unit 3: Computers in Medicine

Computer

What refers to a general purpose, stored program, electronic digital device?

Hardware

What refers to a computer's physical components (things you can touch)?

Software

What refers to computer programs?

System Software and Application Programs

What are the two types of software?

System Software

What operates a computer's hardware?

Application Programs

What guides specific tasks on a computer?

Output Hardware

What translates computer information into a useable form?

soft / hard

Output hardware can produce a _________ copy and a _________ copy

Image on a screen (flat panel display used today)

What is soft copy output hardware?

Printed images

What is hard copt output hardware?

Input Devices

What allows users to put data into a computer?

Keyboard, mouse, touch screen, bar code, reader, voice recognition system

What are some input devices?

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

What does DICOM stand for?

American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufactures Association (NEMA)

Who developed standardized methods of storage of diagnostic medical images?

Picture Archiving System (PACS)

What stores images and send them through fiber-optic cables throughout networks?

Teleradiology

What is the process in which radiologists remotely read exams and send reports?

Analog

What imaging system uses film/screen?

Digital Imaging

What imaging system uses computed radiography (CR) and digital/direct radiography (DR)?

- film / screens / latent

- film / latent / manifest

- Film

Analog Imaging System

- A cassette with _________ and __________ were exposed to form a ____________ image

- The ___________ is inserted into an automatic processor, and the ____________ image is converted into a visible _____________ image

- ___________ is stored in folders

- photostimulable phosphor plate / latent / electron trapping

- image reader

- phosphor / high-resolution laser

- digitized

- erased / reuse

CR Imaging System:

- The ___________________ ________________ ______________ is exposed to radiation and a ___________ image is created through an "_________________ _____________" process

- The cassette is inserted into an ___________ ____________

- The ___________ screen is scanned with a _______ - _____________ _________

- The information is _____________ and stored in a computer

- At the end of the scanning process, the phosphor screen is ____________ and immediately ready for _________

- cassette

- X-ray beam / amorphous selenium / radiation / electronic

DR Imaging System:

- Direct digital radiography uses no _____________

- ___ - ________ _________ interacts directly with a special device

(_____________ ____________ inside) and directly changes ______________ energy into an ________________ image

Conventional (Analog)

Which is the best spatial resolution between digital and conventional (analog)?

Digital because of post processing

Between digital and conventional (analog), which has the best contrast resolution and why?

Less patient exposure and fewer repeats

Because digital has an exceptional latitude, what is the result?

Automatic Rescaling

What refers to the digital system automatically adjusting the image brightness on the screen regardless of exposure?

Dose Creep

What occurs when the dose of radiation increases and the radiographer is not aware due to automatic rescaling?

Exposure Index

What is a number that describes the amount of radiation the IR receives?

DAP (Dose Area Product)

What refers to the amount of radiation that the patient is exposed to?

Technique Creep

What refers to increased kVp and decreased mAs, to reduce the patient absorbed dose?

- Brightness

- Gray scale

- What does window level adjust?

- What does window width adjust?

- Health Information System

- Radiology Information System

- Exam Data Entry

- What does HIS stand for?

- What does RIS stand for?

- What does EDE stand for?