The aim of this module is to familiarise the student with the fundamentals of medical imaging. Further, the student will gain hands on experience in the process of creating CAD geometry and finite element meshes using medical imaging data.
Medical Imaging Systems: History of medical imaging and applications in design of orthopaedic, maxillofacial and pulmonary medical devices and implants. Applications of medical imaging in research including recreation of geometry and measurement of tissue density.
Principles of Operation: Waves and vibration, electromagnetic waves, signal to noise and contrast to noise ratio, static vs. dynamic imaging, projection vs. tomography, anatomical vs. functional.
X-Ray Imaging: Ionization and Excitation of electrons, electromagnetic radiation, X-Ray generation, interaction, attenuation and detection
Computed Tomography (CT): Planar vs. Computed Tomography, image capture and reconstruction, spiral CT, detector technology, Hounsfield scale, density measurement, dual source, DEXA
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): History of MRI, scanner components, basics of nuclear magnetic resonance, detection of signals, resolution, applications.
Nuclear Medicine and Ultrasound: Radioactive tracers, radioactive decay, detection and imaging of gamma rays (scintigraphy, SPECT) and positrons (PET). Ultrasound wave propagation, bulk modulus, density, speed of sound for a given material.
CAD and Finite Elements Mesh: Acquisition and import of medical image data, segmentation of scanned tissue, processing of segmented data, export of geometry.
