New-Radiologic Technologists – Canada's Medical Radiation Technologists

Radiologic Technology

Medical Radiation Technologists
Practicing Radiologic Technology

or X-ray Technologists, use X-rays in different forms to produce images of the human body. Their expertise in the use of X-ray imaging technologies is vital for providing diagnostic information that helps your physician or care provider know what is going on. They are important to the healthcare system and crucial in providing you compassionate patient care.

MRTs practicing Radiological Technology have years of education and training required to provide you with quality care. They have extensive knowledge of physics, anatomy, pathology, and radiation safety that they use to get the best possible images. They can also adapt the exam to your needs. Using their specialized understanding of the structures in your body, the MRT will guide your body into the correct position and will create the best images for a diagnosis.

Using technology is not all these MRTs do. They are also responsible for taking care of you and your family when you’re receiving Medical Imaging services. They will provide you comfort and emotional support while in their care. They will assess you before, during and after your procedure and will educate you on what is going to happen throughout your exam. They will be your primary point of contact to answer any questions you may have about the test or procedure. They also will ensure that the test is carried out in a way that is safe for you, your family, and staff.

If you have had any of the following exams, an MRT practicing Radiological Technology provided your care:

An X-ray: digital images of the lung, bones, joints, abdomen, and spine to detect fractures or disease
A mammogram: digital images of breast tissue to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages
A CT scan (Computed Tomography): cross sectional x-ray images of the organs, bones and tissues of the body
Fluoroscopy: A real-time x-ray video showing how the systems, like your stomach and bowel, function in the body. This is also used in operating rooms during surgeries.
Interventional Radiology: uses fluoroscopy for procedures like biopsies, or for treating conditions of the blood vessels throughout the heart, brain, and body.

FAQs about
Radiologic Technology

How Is an X-Ray image produced?

An x-ray image is produced when a small amount of radiation passes through a body part and is captured to produce a black-and-white image.

Body parts that are difficult for x-rays to pass through, such as bone, appear white on the x-ray image. Body parts that the x-rays penetrate easily, such as the lungs or other areas filled with air, appear black. Soft tissue (like muscle), blood vessels and organs usually appear as various shades of gray on an x-ray image, depending upon what they are made of.

Once the x-ray radiation passes through the body, it is captured by an imaging plate, connected to a computer, which creates a visible image.
How will the MRT take the images?

Using their specialized knowledge of the human body, the MRT will position you based on the area your physician or care provider has concerns about. You may be able to sit down and have your x-rays taken at a tabletop. You may be able to stand up while they take the images, or sometimes, they will require you to lie down on a table. No matter how the image is taken, your MRT will instruct you on how to move. They will walk you through how to change the position of your body to best capture the images. The time it takes for the exams are relatively quick. Most images take between 5 and 15 minutes to complete.
Are x-rays safe?

Yes. The x-rays delivered to a patient during a typical diagnostic imaging exam are the safest they have ever been. MRTs working in Radiologic Technology use the lowest possible dose of radiation to achieve a quality image. In addition, new techniques and equipment are constantly being developed to decrease the total amount of radiation received by the patient.

There are different types of radiation are all around us. Radiation comes from the atmosphere, the Earth’s crust and cosmic rays. There are even small amounts of radiation that comes from bananas! X-rays are a little stronger than these other examples and are used in medical settings. For comparison, just living life on this earth for a year, exposes you to an average of 3.3 millisieverts (mSv) of background radiation from the environment. A typical dental x-ray you may get is approximately 0.06 mSv. A chest x-ray is approximately 0.08 mSv and a mammogram is almost 1.0 mSv. A CT scan can be anywhere from 1-10 mSv depending on the part of the body being imaged.

Any exposure to radiation can pose a safety risk. However, whenever a test or procedure using x-rays is ordered, your physician has considered the benefits of an x-ray examination. They decided that it outweighs the risk due to the amount of information they will get from the test. This information can help doctors visualize what is happening and can help create a treatment plan.
How Does A CT Scan Work?

Computed tomography (CT) also uses x-rays, but images the anatomy in a different way. Here, the source of the x-rays rotates around the patient during a CT scan, capturing detail from many angles. This is known as cross-sectional imaging. Each rotation of the x-ray beam produces a single “slice” of anatomy, like the slices in a loaf of bread. A computer can stack all the slices to create a whole 3-dimensional image. Using this technology, physicians can view the inside the body’s structures, a feature not possible with general X-rays.

Radiologic Technology

Medical Radiation Technologists Practicing Radiologic Technology

Medical Radiation Technologists
Practicing Radiologic Technology