Computed Tomography: Fundamentals, System Technology, Image quality and Applications

Abstract

W A Kalender Munich: Publicis MCD (2000) 220pp, price: �32.50, ISBN: 3-8957-8081-2 This book is a very well-written overview of CT by an imaging scientist who has made many significant contributions to this field over the past sixteen years. With the recent renewed interest in CT based on the widespread adoption of multi-slice spiral scanners, this text is a timely publication. The book begins with a preface in the form of an historical overview, and continues with a description of the basic principles of CT image reconstruction and display, as well as some of the necessary underlying physics. The various historical and contemporary scanner designs are described, along with some of the more novel approaches to CT that have appeared over the years. The non-mathematically inclined will appreciate the intuitive style used throughout the book. However, for those who feel short-changed by this approach, an appendix briefly presents some of the mathematical formalism! Befitting the author's own interests, spiral CT receives a thorough treatment. There is an extensive discussion of the similarities and differences between sequentially acquired CT images and those acquired with single and multi-slice spiral techniques, both with respect to the image-reconstruction process and image quality. The discussion of `conventional' and `spiral-specific' artefacts is particularly useful. It is pleasing to see in this book an excellent discussion of patient dose, including measurement and dose-reduction techniques. There are useful tables that quickly allow the operator to gauge the effect on patient dose of various scanning parameters. This chapter is especially valuable for the guidance it provides in determining appropriate scan technique specifications to those prescribing patient examination. The discussion puts diagnostic radiation dose levels in their proper perspective, with the author endorsing the view that the BERT (background equivalent radiation time) be adopted as a way of meaningfully expressing diagnostic exposure with respect to background. In view of the fact that modern CT scanners generate huge amounts of data, the section on image processing and display is timely. The author discusses the various means of visualizing 3D images, and discusses the rationale for using one method over another. The book concludes with a brief discussion of special applications and a look to the future of CT. The applications and limitations of CT to provide quantitative information are highlighted, and the exciting new field of dynamic cardiac CT is briefly discussed. The book is well illustrated and can be read by a wide audience. The volume by itself is a superb resource. An added bonus is the CD-ROM that comes with it. In addition to its high-resolution figures and the additional clinical examples it provides, this disk contains animations of the reconstruction process, and a fully functional image browser to allow the reader to manipulate several example 3D CT datasets. I highly recommend this book to both the radiological and the imaging physics communities. It provides a superb overview of the contemporary state-of-the-art of CT, and is an excellent resource for those involved in teaching medical imaging to scientists or physicians.