Definition

Noun: A medical imaging device that uses X-rays and computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional images (tomograms) of the body. These individual "slices" or parallel planes are then combined by a computer to construct a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the scanned object or area.

Usage

This term refers specifically to the physical machine, the scanner, used in the medical procedure known as Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) or Computed Tomography (CT). It is used in diagnostic medicine.

Examples

• The hospital acquired a new computerized axial tomography scanner to improve its diagnostic capabilities.
• The technician operated the computerized axial tomography scanner to examine the patient's head.
• Images from the computerized axial tomography scanner revealed a small fracture not visible on a standard X-ray.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in technical, medical, and procurement contexts to specify the type of imaging equipment.
• In common medical parlance, the device is more frequently called a CT scanner or CAT scanner, with the full phrase "computerized axial tomography scanner" used in formal documentation.

Variants and Related Words

• CT scanner (Noun): The more common modern abbreviation for the same device.
• CAT scanner (Noun): An acronym (Computerized Axial Tomography) for the same device.
• Tomograph (Noun): A general term for any device that produces tomograms (cross-sectional images).
• Computed Tomography (CT) (Noun): The name of the imaging technique itself.

Synonyms

• CT machine
• CAT scan machine
• Tomographic scanner

Related Phrases/Idioms

(This technical term is not typically used in idiomatic expressions.)

Noun

1. a tomograph that constructs a 3-D model of an object by combining parallel planes