Course overview
To prepare students for clinical experience in Computed Tomography (CT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) hybrid imaging. It will also provide a broad knowledge base of advanced CT procedures.
Physical principles of CT, PET and PET/CT and their application to medical diagnosis and treatment; instrumentation; generations of scanners; Helical/spiral CT systems; multislice scanners; imaging/scanning parameters; patient positioning; examination preparation; contrast media; image reconstruction; image quality; artefacts; quality assurance procedures; image evaluation; image interpretation; anatomy recognition in multiple planes; pathology; image manipulation; patient and staff safety issues; biological effects; patient care including risk factors; radiation safety; dosimetry; interpersonal communication, responding empathically, nursing skills/patient interactions; hybrid imaging; image co-registration; image fusion; attenuation correction; clinical applications of co-registration and image fusion; quality assurance and control; protocols of contemporary practice; advanced current CT procedures; radioisotopes, biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals, paediatric considerations; radiation therapy simulation and planning; professionalism; ethics; legalities.
Course learning outcomes
- Apply knowledge previously acquired in medical radiation science and demonstrate a knowledge of the principles, instrumentation, clinical applications, imaging protocols; data acquisition and image evaluation of CT and PET/CT hybrid systems for current routine and advanced procedures.
- Interpret and evaluate CT, PET and PET/CT images, in terms of anatomy, physiology and pathology and linking these findings with the procedural protocol required to produce such images.
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the principles of image co-registration, image fusion, attenuation correction and the application to diagnosis and treatment.
- Demonstrate image manipulation of CT and PET images in applied procedures.
- Demonstrate a knowledge of quality assurance procedures relating to CT.