Development and Evaluation of a Solid State Head CT

The diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become of paramount importance in combat casualty care. In a resource poor environment, the lack of advanced cross-sectional imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) limits the ability of forward surgical teams to diagnose life-threatening head injuries. As a result, the vast majority of patients with head trauma must be transported to facilities with CT or MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] capabilities to better assess the extent of head trauma. This approach leads to medically unnecessary transport of Soldiers and potentially delays in appropriate care. Unfortunately, conventional imaging modalities such as ultrasound and conventional radiographs are of severely limited utility in diagnosing life-threatening conditions in the brain, including intraparenchymal hemorrhage, subdural or epidural hematomas. To achieve the appropriate level of care, advanced imaging modalities are necessary. Current computed tomography systems, unfortunately, are highly complex instruments requiring the rapid rotation of an x-ray tube and detector system.

This approach does not lend itself to use except for in well controlled environments, such as within a hospital. We have developed the carbon nanotube (CNT) linear x-ray source array. This x-ray generation approach utilizes field emission, which allows two primary advantages: precise x-ray pulse control and close physical placement of multiple x-ray sources. A solid-state x-ray source array can be made that can provide the necessary x-ray projections to generate the projections necessary for CT images. The goal of this study is to develop a solid-state, no-rotation x-ray CT system for applications in head trauma imaging in the field.