Radiology Technician Fields
For the first 50 years of radiology, X-ray technology was the only technology available. X-rays are still used today due to their speediness and low costs, but there are now a variety of different imaging techniques available. As a result, radiology technicians are no longer restricted to only operating X-ray machines, and can obtain additional certifications to work with various advanced imaging technologies.
Diagnostic X-rays
The most common field for radiology technicians involves taking basic diagnostic X-rays. X-rays are used in almost all fields of medicine to examine bones, teeth, body cavities and possible foreign objects in the body.
Sonography
Sonographers use high-frequency ultrasound to capture images of the human body's interior. Ultrasound imaging is primarily found in obstetrics and gynecology, but it is also frequently used for abdominal, cardiac and cardiovascular imaging.
Fluoroscopy
A fluoroscopy is a live motion, constant X-ray that continuously displays the interior of the body. It's mostly used to examine the digestive system and help position surgical devices such as pacemakers or guidewires.
Advanced Soft Tissue Imaging
Both computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide highly detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the various tissues in the human body. Both produce images of cross-sections of the body, but MRIs use a powerful magnetic field instead of radiation to take these images.
Nuclear Medicine
Techs in nuclear medicine administer radioactive isotopes to patients and trace their effects in the body to examine organ system function. One such imaging technique is a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which produces a three-dimensional image of organ function by tracing the gamma rays emitted from the administered isotopes (radionuclides).
Mammography
Mammograms are specific X-rays taken of the breast tissues, usually used to diagnose breast cancer.
Tags: human body, Radiology Technician, Radiology Technician Fields, radiology technicians, Technician Fields
