Dose management in multi–slice spiral computed tomography

Abstract

Dose management is a necessary central issue in multi-slice spiral CT. The concern about patient doses in CT in the medical field, but also in the public, is high, and demands for improved solutions are undeniable. This article presents technical background and basic information on dose measurements, on ways to influence dose and on the dose levels typically encountered in medical CT. A particular focus is put on the outline of new concepts for dose management and optimization. The new approaches are based on tube current modulation. They serve to adapt the tube current intensities automatically and in real time to the anatomy of the specific patient. The end point of these efforts is an automated exposure control for CT.