Medical Imaging Equipment

Devices that enable physicians to observe the interior of the human body without surgery are known as medical imaging equipment. Medical imaging equipment allows professionals to diagnose the health of bones, muscles, and other tissues without the need for invasive procedures, as well as assisting in monitoring pregnancies. Medical imaging equipment also possesses numerous non-medical applications, particularly in the fields of engineering and security. Three of the most frequently utilized pieces of medical imaging equipment are:

• X-ray machines


• Ultrasonic probes


• MRI scanners.

X-Ray Imaging Equipment

X-ray machines are devices which produce bursts of short-length electromagnetic waves. Because of the high energy content of these x-rays, they are not easily absorbed by matter when the two come into contact, and thus tend to pass directly through most objects. The patterns resulting from this movement can then be noted on photographic film, producing an image of the internal structure of the object or, in the case of medical imaging, of the human body. Because soft tissue such as skin absorbs fewer x-rays than calcium matter such as bone, x-ray machines are most useful for observing the human skeletal system. However, organs and blood vessels can also be effectively viewed when injected with certain compounds which increase their permeability to x-rays.

X-ray machines themselves are of fairly simple design, and consist of two electron generators which emit particles, creating x-ray waves when the particles collide. Such machines are surrounded entirely by lead to prevent the x-rays from escaping in all directions, except for a narrow window through which the radiation is directed. A camera placed behind the patient then records the radiation's movement through the body as it exits.

Ultrasound Imaging Equipment

Ultrasonic devices operate using the same principle as sonar: sound waves are bounced through the body and an image of the body is then constructed by noting how far they travel before being deflected, using the speed of sound as a guideline. A standard ultrasound machine consists of a computer linked to a transducer probe, which both emits the sound waves and receives their echo. The computer then calculates the information returned and produces the composite image.

Ultrasound has much the same functionality as x-rays, but is often preferred as it can be performed more quickly and without requiring exposure to radiation. Ultrasound is also more efficient than x-rays for the examination of muscles and other soft tissues, and is the preferred imaging technique for observing pregnancies.

MRI Imaging Equipment

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are extremely bulky pieces of equipment. A standard MRI scanner is a cubical device the size of a small room, with a sliding tube upon which the patient rests and which is then inserted into the machine itself. The machine then emits a magnetic field and observes the reaction of atoms within the body to this catalyst. Because different atoms behave differently when exposed to magnetism, the MRI scanner can build a point-by-point image of the body by noting the general reaction of small regions of the body (around a square millimeter in size) to the magnetic exposure and determining their atomic makeup. Such images are extraordinarily detailed and can be used to glean important medical information pertaining to highly specific regions of the body.

By Matthew Ingalls