We’re mostly aware of the dangers surrounding inner body imaging for medical purposes, X-Rays, CT Scans, anything using radiation to peer inside for medical assessment (often a MUCH NEEDED medical assessment). However in recent years, scientists and medical professionals have been working together to reduce the impact of such assessments.
According to Shane Foley, Ph.D., associate professor at the University College Dublin School of Medicine, discussed developments in the near future for CT, as well as various steps radiologists and radiographers can take to control radiation dose as best as possible.
“CT contributes roughly two-thirds of the total population dose in medical imaging, so it’s the modality we need to focus our efforts on in terms of radiation protection,” he told Diagnostic Imaging. “The growing use of CT means we must take steps and make sure we are conscious of radiation dose.”
The goal is to push CT doses toward 1 mSv, this is where options like filtering come into place. Filters are used during the procedure, when the tech limits exposure to adjacent organs that aren’t of interest. Advancement in filters are expected in the future as well, using them to remove softer energy radiation from X-Ray beams.
