Slice geometry in computer assisted tomography.

In computer assisted tomography, the slice being imaged is not a uniform slab because (1) the X-rays are not parallel, (2) the source and detector may not have equal dimensions, (3) the source collimator may produce a penumbra region on the detector, and (4) in some machines two slices are scanned simultaneously from a common focal spot. One method of measuring slice thickness, uniformity, and overlap is with a phantom containing an aluminum strip at a 45 degree angle. This provides a direct display, in the viewing plane, of the slice profile. Measurements have been made on seven new tomographic scanners, and photographs and plots of slice geometry are presented. It is suggested that slice thickness be defined as the full width at half maximum sensitivity, but that this measure should not necessarily be used as the desirable increment between scans.