What Is Diagnostic Medical Imaging?
Diagnostic medical imaging refers to the process of obtaining images of parts of the human body for examination and diagnosis of illness or injury. The process may include x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT), or positron emission tomography (PET). The information derived from diagnostic medical imaging often allows health care professionals to examine the inside of a patient’s body in a non-invasive way. The term x-ray refers to X-radiography. X-rays use short wave radiation to expose film. Soft tissue does not absorb the high energy waves, so they pass through. Dense objects, such as bones and tendons, absorb the rays. The resulting image shows less dense structures as gray or black, and dense structures as lighter gray or white.
