Angiography: Visualization of the blood vessels through the use of X-ray after injecting dye (contrast material) into the bloodstream. Used as a tool to diagnose many diseases affecting the arteries and veins, including inflammatory diseases.
Angioscopy: Visualization of the interior of blood vessels through the use of miniature video camera on the end of a catheter.
Anode: The positive end of the x-ray tubes internal components, which is usually spinning, also refereed to as the target.
Autotransformer: A transformer in which the primary and secondary coils have all or part of their turns in common.
Bariatric: Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.
Bucky: A device that reciprocates the x-ray grid during an exposure so as not to image grid lines.
Cardiac Catheterization: An invasive imaging procedure that involves inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in the arm or leg, and guiding it to your heart with the aid of a special x-ray machine. Contrast dye is injected through the catheter so that x-ray movies of your valves, coronary arteries and heart chambers are taken. Cardiac catheterization is also called coronary angiography.
C-arm: Named because of it’s shape with the X-ray tube on one end of a ‘C’ shaped armature and and image intensifier on the other end. Used primarily for fluoroscopy but capable of radiography.
Cath Lab: The specialized radiologic suite where cardiac catheterization is performed.
Cathode: emits electrons into the vacuum of the X-ray tube where they are attracted to the Anode.
