Hounsfield scale
Hounsfield Scale
The Hounsfield Scale (pronunciation: /ˈhaʊnzˌfiːld/), also known as Hounsfield Units (HU), is a quantitative scale used in Computed Tomography (CT) to measure radiodensity. The scale is named after Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield, the British engineer and Nobel laureate who developed the CT scanner.
Etymology
The Hounsfield Scale is named after Godfrey Hounsfield, who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to the development of computed tomography.
Definition
The Hounsfield Scale is a linear transformation of the original linear attenuation coefficient measurement into one in which the radiodensity of distilled water at standard pressure and temperature (STP) is defined as zero Hounsfield units (HU), while the radiodensity of air at STP is defined as -1000 HU.
Usage
In medical imaging, the Hounsfield Scale is used to identify and distinguish different tissues in the body on a CT scan. For example, bone appears bright on a CT scan because it absorbs more radiation and is therefore given a high Hounsfield number, while air appears dark because it absorbs less radiation and is given a low Hounsfield number.
Related Terms
- Computed Tomography: An imaging procedure that uses special x-ray equipment to create detailed pictures, or scans, of areas inside the body.
- Radiodensity: The ability of a material to absorb or block radiation.
- Linear Attenuation Coefficient: A measure of how much a beam of radiation is reduced in intensity by passing through a unit thickness of a material.
- Godfrey Hounsfield: The British engineer who developed the CT scanner and after whom the Hounsfield Scale is named.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hounsfield scale
- Wikipedia's article - Hounsfield scale
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski