Re: "Electron Beam Technology"

["J. C. Blechinger" <JCBlechinger@usa.net>]

The sterilization is done with electron beams from an accelerator. Electron
beams are also used for radiation oncology.

The electron beam computed tomography uses a kind of giant x-ray tube, where
a the electron beam is steered to a tungsten target. See
http://www.sirius.com/~imatron/. This provides very fast scan of the moving
heart and allows imaging of calcium found in clogged coronary arteries.
Other CT companies using traditional x-ray tubes and some cardiac gating are
also working on "calcium scoring."

Joseph Blechinger, Ph.D. DABR
Aurora Health Care
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
JCBlechinger@usa.net

> saw an article in today's Denver Rocky Mt. News on Rapid CT Scanning for
> coronary artery disease.
>
> The article repeatedly referred to the unit as an electron beam device.
In
> a description deep in the article it mentioned a tungsten target, sounds
> like an x-ray tube to me!


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