Learning About CT Scan Machines: A Guide

When looking around for medical equipment used for CT scanning, the ct scan machine price is the first thing people wonder. However, there is more to it than just price. Here, we’ll show you how these machines work so you’ll know what to expect during test day.

So let’s begin!

How Does CT Scanners Work

A CT scan uses computers and rotating X-rays to make images of your body. The images give you more detailed information than X-ray images. They can show your blood vessels, bones, and soft tissues that are visible in your body.

You can use a CT scan to help visualize the:

• Shoulders
• Head
• Spine
• Abdomen
• Chest
• Knee
• Heart

Throughout the scan, you’ll lay inside of a machine with a tunnel-like appearance. The machine will rotate and take X-Ray images through different angles. After that, the pictures are delivered to a computer, where the images are combined to make cross-sections or slices in the body. These images can also be combined to make a 3-D image in a certain area of your body.

What Happens Throughout the CT Scan? 

Most CT scans are used as a form of an outpatient procedure. These tests don’t require hospitalization, so you can finish the test and go home.

The CT Scanner appears like a large circle with a narrow table placed in the middle. Unlike the MRI where you’re placed inside the tunnel of a scanner, the patient rarely feels any claustrophobia due to the shape and openness of the scanner.

Usually, the patient lays on their back, while the table slowly moves through the machine’s center. Your patient will move either foot or head first, depending on what body part is being scanned. For scans such as the middle ear and sinuses, your patient will have to go in head first and lie on their stomach.

Your patient needs to stay motionless throughout the procedure, which usually lasts for a few minutes. The entire process, from setting up the scan, taking the pictures, taking away the IV if needed, will take 15-45 minutes based on what body part is becoming scanned.

• • In some studies, your patients will have to hold their breath for at least 10-20 seconds.
  • You cannot wear any metal material.
  • The clothing that your patient wears will affect the CT scan results. For example, a CT scan of your pelvis, abdomen, or chest, usually patients will change into a hospital gown. When doing a head CT scan, your patient can wear their regular street clothes.
  • You’ll rarely need sedation when conducting a CT scan. The machine stays quiet in operation; meaning that the patient will only hear a small whirr from the machine once its in use.
  • A technologist is in another room and can provide assistance to the patient if necessary. The technologist is there to observe the patient and see if there are any patterns found through the CT scan machine.

Conclusion

When thinking about the ct scan machine price, you have to think about its overall function. How long will the CT be for your patient? How will you report the results to your patient? Keep these questions in mind when getting a CT machine to ensure that it performs the best diagnostic measure on your patients.