Attenuation
- Attenuation is the reduction of intensity of a radiation beam as it passes through an object. Attenuation depends on the atomic density, the incident object’s atomic number of the absorber, and the energy of the incident photon.
- Beam geometry describes the shape of the x-ray beam as it leaves the x-ray tube housing and strikes the detectors. As the number of detector rows increases, the beam becomes wider to cover the detector array.
- Multidetector CT scanners (MDCT) utilize a cone beam during image acquisition. The cone beam is utilized in order to expose the entire row of detectors evenly to radiation.