Course Outline

Principles of Servicing CT Systems

Overview

Principles of Servicing Computed Tomography Systems is designed for the service professional transitioning in CT service. This multivendor CT course teaches the skills necessary to understand the CT system, become self-confident in working on the gantry, patient transport, detector assembly, DAS, SRU, X-ray control systems, and operator workstation sub-systems.

Special attention will be given to x-ray tube changes. Hands-on lab time is emphasized and makes up approximately 80% of the overall course content.

The program is divided into seven major areas:

  • Basic CT principles
  • Safety procedures
  • System operation
  • Verification of system specifications
  • System calibration
  • Software maintenance, Backup/restore
  • Troubleshooting to major subsystems
  • Preventive maintenance

Prerequisites

This multivendor CT course teaches the skills necessary to understand the CT system, become self-confident in working on the gantry, patient transport, detector assembly, DAS, SRU, X-ray control systems, and operator workstation sub-systems.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will:

  • Have a thorough understanding of CT principles and image production
  • Follow safety procedures for patients, physicians, and individuals
  • Be able to load and backup system and diagnostic software
  • Be able to completely operate the CT system including local operation
  • Troubleshoot to the major subsystem level
  • Change the X-ray tube, realign and
    recalibrate the X-ray generator
  • Calibrate, replace, and align the hardware associated with the gantry and patient transport
  • Troubleshoot gantry, patient transport and X-ray systems
  • Troubleshoot the digital acquisition system and detector array
  • Troubleshoot the scan reconstruction unit
  • Troubleshoot the operator workstation
  • Perform preventive maintenance

Tuition: $9995

Course Length: 2 Weeks

CEU's Awarded: 8 CEU’s

Dates:

  • Mar 3-14, 2025
  • Jul 7-18, 2025
  • Oct 20-31, 2025
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Course Outline

Day 1
  • Introduction
    • Overview of CT
  • CT principles
    • Matrix sizes
    • CT numbers
    • Window width and level
    • Slice thickness
    • Collimators
    • Back projection
  • Simplified block diagram

Lab Activities

  • Proper power up and power down procedures
  • Location of E-stop/emergency off switches
  • Measurement of power requirements
  • X-ray tube warm up procedure
  • Introduction to scanning software operation
  • Pilot/scout scans
  • Scanner parameter manipulation
  • Patient transport operation
Day 2
  • CT imaging principles
    • Air calibration-why needed
      • Pilot/scout scans
      • Normal scan
  • System hardware overview & block diagrams

Lab Activities

  • Power distribution block diagram
  • X-ray system block diagram
  • Gantry block diagram
  • Patient transport block diagram
  • Data acquisition block diagram
  • Computer block diagram
  • Major component locations
  • Major signal flow
    • kV/mA
    • Detector data
    • Motor feedbacks
Day 3
  • System Operation and Power Distribution
    Systems operational parameters

    • Major system component identification
      • System controls
        • Safety
      • Interlocks
      • Patient registration/scheduling
      • Exam/technique settings
    • System architectures
      • System block diagrams
    • Power distribution
      • Power distribution diagrams
        • Main AC power
        • Sub-system AC power
        • DC power supplies
  • Types and uses of phantoms
    • Spatial resolution
    • Contrast resolution
    • Linearity
    • CT numbers of water equal to zero
    • Slice thickness

Lab Activities

  • Control system DC power supplies
  • Gantry DC power supplies
    • Stationary
    • Rotating
  • Table DC power supplies
  • X-ray system DC power supplies
    • X-ray generator
    • X-ray tube rotor control
    • Collimator
  • Detector/DAS area DC power supplies
Day 4
  • Motor/Motion Controls and Position Indication
    • Motor verification and
      replacement

      • Gantry rotation
        • Axial speed control
        • Axial motor driver
        • Patient transport/table movement and indexing
          • Tabletop horizontal
            control

            • Speed control
            • Motor drivers
        • Table vertical travel
          • Speed control
          • Motor drive
      • Laser and light knife position indicators
        • Alignment

Lab Activities

  • Motor/Motion Control & Positioning
    • Gantry rotation
      • Axial driver verification
      • Drive assembly mechanical
        adjustments
    • Patient transport
    • Laser/Light knife adjustments
Day 5
  • X-ray system
    • X-ray generation
      • High voltage control
      • Filament controls
        • Filament drive
        • Position (Z control)
        • Z position detection
      • Rotor controller
      • Collimator controls
        • Pre-patient
        • Post-patient
      • Filter control
  • X-ray tube change
    • Tube selection
    • De-install/install issues
    • Required calibrations and
      alignments

Lab Activities

  • X-ray tube change
    • De-install procedures
    • Installation procedures
  • kV calibration
  • mA calibration
  • Z position alignment
Day 6
  • Detector and DAS
  • Detector architectures
      • Maintenance issues
      • Detector replacement
  • DAS architectures
      • Pre-amp/channel boards
      • DAS control
      • Data convolution
  • Data transmission
      • Fiber optics
      • Slip ring data transfers
        • Optical transmission
        • Brushes
        • RF transmitters

Lab Activities

  • Pre-amp/Channel board verification
    • Detector output mapping
    • Pre-amp measurements
  • Detector/DAS replacement
    • Removal procedures
    • Installation and alignment
  • Data transfer verification
    • DAS data output
    • Data transfer through slip ring verification
    • Data to image processing verification
Day 7
  • Image processing and handling
    • Front end processing
    • Temporary preprocessed data storage
    • Image reconstruction
    • Processed image handling
      • Image generation for display
      • Image storage
        • System disk
        • CD/DVD ROM
        • DICOM

Lab Activities

  • Image reconstruction system testing
  • Image reconstruction testing
    • Real time reconstruction
    • Retro-reconstruction
  • Manage image files
    • DICOM setup
Day 8
  • System control and Image Quality
    • System host computer
      • Field replaceable units
      • System hard drive
    • System to Gantry control
      • Stationary controls
      • Rotating controls
    • System to X-ray system control
      • X-ray generation
      • Collimation
    • System to image processing/handling
    • Image quality control tests

 

Lab Activities

  • System control and Image Quality Labs
    • System control communications
      verification
    • System state back-up and restore
Day 9
  • Software backups
    • Images
  • Loading software onto a CT
    system

    • How to do a “cold” boot
    • Minimum diagnostics hardware
  • Lab Activities
    • Verification of manufacturers’
      specification

      • Linearity
      • CT number
      • Spatial/contrast resolution
    • Software load
  • Preventive maintenance
      • Weekly/Monthly/Quarter ly
      • Required Equipment
  • Troubleshooting
    • Subsystem troubleshooting
    • Patient support troubleshooting
    • X-Ray system troubleshooting
    • DAS troubleshooting
  • Error Logs
  • Diagnostics

Lab Activities

  • Perform PM procedures
  • System troubleshooting
Day 10
  • Course review
  • Final exam
  • Course evaluation
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    For information on travel expenses and hotel accommodations please see our full coverage package information.

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