C-Arm Acronyms and Phrases Defined

Our series continues for any of you who have ever been stumped by the acronym and tech-laden conversations of the radiology world. And, of course, no imaging glossary would be complete without a peek at common C-arm acronyms and phrases.

CINE: Short for cinefluorography or cineradiography, an X-Ray “motion picture”

DICOM: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, a standard data format for transmitting medical imaging information.

DSA: Digital Subtraction Angiography, software feature that removes or “subtracts” bone or tissue from an image for clearer viewing of the vascular system.

FPS: Frames Per Second, how many images the cine camera can take in one second.

Gamma Correction: Gamma correction controls the overall brightness of an image. Images which are not properly corrected can look either bleached out, or too dark.  (siggraph.org)

II: Image Intensifier, a light amplification device that converts x-ray photons to light photons, makes x-ray images bright enough and magnified enough for proper viewing. 

• 9” II ( tri mode 9”,6” 4”)-  higher magnification than 12”
• 12” II (tri mode 12”, 9” 6”) – primarily used for vascular studies (larger field of view)

MARS: Motion Artifact Reduction System, software that reduces incidents of image distortion created by movements of the subject.

MTS: Motion Tolerant Subtraction, software that functions much like standard DSA but offers additional benefits that reduce the interference of motion in the subject during scanning, also allows for full run-offs in a single injection and run. (GE Healthcare 2012)

If we left a phrase you hear every day off the list, please let us know! Help us make this blog series as useful as possible for anyone needing a quick reference point in the imaging community.