Medical Imaging Links

General

Principles of Computerized Tomographic Imaging An electronic copy of the classic text on Tomographic Image Reconstruction by Avinash Kak and Malcom Slaney. Individual chapters are available as pdf files (some are quite large). Beware this is an advanced text.
Mathematics and Physics of Emerging Biomedical Imaging This book (from National Academy Press) introduces the frontiers of biomedical imaging, especially the imaging of dynamic physiological functions, to the educated nonspecialist. Even though published 1996 still a remarkably contemporary overview of the major biomedical imaging modalities. Suitable as a source book for further research and education.
RadioGraphics A journal owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America devoted to continuing medical education in radiology. Contains a plethora of readable, but comprehensive, articles on all issues of medical imaging (technology, procedures, safety and professional). Free access is available for all articles published more than one year ago.
X-Ray Mass Attenuation Coefficients Reference data from the Physics Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
LearnCT: Java Sim CT sim application This rather nice Java based application may be of use to those wishing to gain an intuitive understanding of image reconstruction using projections. Lots of nifty windows and menus but not much documentation and thus will require a bit of effort to use as intended. Requires user to download the application (written in Java) in order to use.

X-Ray & X-Ray Computed Tomography

X-ray production Describes the physical processes and principles behind X-ray production.
X-ray generators Outlines the operational principles and functional components involved in the generation of X-rays.
CAT Scans A basic but entertaining introduction to the principles of tomographic image reconstruction of X-rays. Has quite a few nice applets that allow the viewer to experiment with various parameters such as projection angles and numbers. Recommended for those bewildered by the mathematics of filtered backprojection.
Cone beam reconstruction using filtered backprojection A PhD thesis that deals with ``with three-dimensional image reconstruction algorithms to be used in future generations of tomographs with even more detector rows than found in current multi-row systems''.
Electron Beam CT There does not seem to be much technical information on electron beam computerised tomography (also know as Ultrafast® computed tomography) freely available because most of the technology is proprietary. GE Healthcare is the only player in the EBCT market following its purchase of the technology pioneer Imatron Inc in 2001.
Computed Medical Imaging Godfrey N Hounsfield's 1979 Nobel lecture in which he describes some of his early experiments that led to the development of the technique of computed tomography. Principally of historical interest.
ImPACT Group Website for the UK's CT evaluation centre. A good repository of slides and resources on CT.

Radioisotope Imaging

Introduction to Emission CT Explores the fundamental physical and engineering principles of emission computed tomography from a non-mathematical perspective - see also Physics of PET and Physics of SPECT.
Clinical aspects of emission tomography Outlines the clinical applications of PET and SPECT imaging. A bit out of date but still worthwhile as provides a nice overview of some of the most important applications of ECT.
Nuclear and SPECT Imaging Teaching Files A great collection of teaching files that include the results of the radionuclide investigation, the clinical history and a discussion of the procedure. Worth a look at to get a feel for the diagnostic versatility of radionuclide investigations.
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET, Austin Hospital Melbourne The largest Nuclear Medicine and PET facility within Australia.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) A non mathematical, and now slightly dated, thumbnail introduction to a technique often dubbed "poor mans PET"..
Nuclear Medicine Department, University of Kansas Hospital Contains some good background information PET as well as a range of teaching files involving regular scintigraphic, SPECT and PET techniques. Worth a look to get a perspective on the clinical applications of radioisotope imaging.

Ultrasound

Doppler ultrasound techniques Provides a reasonably detailed overview of the physics and engineering principles behind doppler sonography.
Ultrasound - Virtual Imaging Laboratory. Contains extensive notes on the spatial aspects of ultrasound beam formation and its interaction with tissue. Also contains a nice java-based imaging applet that lets the user explore a virtual diagnostic ultrasound system which is well worth exploring.
Obstetric Ultrasound A nice summary of the use of ultrasound in pregnancy. Has plenty of links to additional information.
4D Ultrasound GE Healthcare System are self acknowledged leaders in real time 3D ultrasound (which they refer to as "4D ultrasound"). This site contains the standard commercial product overview. It includes a rather nice "virtual" scan.
4D Ultrasound Scan Fetal Video Clips This website of Jordanian gynaecologist Dr. Najeeb Layyous contains a wide range of 4D & 3D obstetric ultrasound images and animations. Be amazed at what modern ultrasound can visualise.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Basic Principles of MR Imaging A non mathematical introduction to MRI.
An introduction to physics of magnetic resonance imaging A reasonably comprehensive non-mathematical introduction to the basics of MRI - see also Contrast mechanisms in MR imaging.
k-space in the clinic The concept of k-space (spatial frequency content of the imaged object) is an important concept to master in order to understand how tomographic images are produced using MRI. This review provides a relatively non-mathematical overview of k-space and the major k-space sampling strategies used in image reconstruction - see also k-space sampling strategies and Echo-planar imaging for additional detail.
The Basics of MRI An extremely comprehensive introduction to all aspects of magnetic resonance including spin physics, NMR spectroscopy, MRI and the relevant mathematics. Available in English, Italian and Russian. Highly recommended.
Introduction to MRI Physics Contains a cool shockwave movie that illustrates the basic physics of MRI using a range of animations.
e-MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging physics and technique course on the web Another animated on-line MRI course. Provides a reasonably non-technical (but still useful) overview of parallel imaging, MR angiography, cardiac MRI and diffusion tensor imaging.
Functional MRI: Methods and Applications The PhD thesis by Dr Stuart Clare (University of Nottingham 1997). Contains useful information on fast imaging sequences in particular the technique of echo planar imaging which is used in functional magnetic imaging.
Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain
The Adelaide MRI Website Contains a lot of interesting information not found in the previous links like: MRI safety and links to equipment manufacturers.

Miscellaneous

3D Virtual Colonoscopy Advanced volumetric imaging techniques have been used to render helical scan CT data to achieve virtual imaging and exploration of the human colon (from the Departments of Radiology and Computer Science at SUNY Stony Brook).
Visible Human Project® The Visible Human Project of the National Library of Medicine involves the creation of complete, anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of the normal male and female human bodies using transverse CT, MR and cryosection images of representative male and female cadavers.
e-Anatomy - Atlas of Human Anatomy An excellent site which comprises an interactive MRI (with various weightings) and CT atlas of the human body. Available in a number of languages. Registration (free) required in order to view all anatomical labelling.
MedPix® medical image data base A peer reviewed data base of medical images and radiology teaching files. The web interface is a bit clunky and ugly - but definitely worth a look.

David Liley 2009 (dliley@swin.edu.au)