Tomoscopy: dynamic layer imaging without mechanical movements.

A tomographic system in which electronic movement of the x-ray source and the image receptor replace the mechanical movement of conventional tomography has been constructed and tested. Because the system permits very short, rapidly repeated exposures, viewing by television provides real-time fluoroscopic tomography, termed tomoscopy. Further, electronic adjustment of tomographic layer height permits rapid direct search for the optimum layer. The system requires no more than conventional fluoroscopic radiation levels and resolves 3 line pairs per millimeter (LP/mm) in the televised image and 4 LP/mm in the spot film images. It offers rapid, highly customized, high-resolution tomography under direct fluoroscopic control. Precise percutaneous biopsy with integrated needle-controlled equipment and tomography of contrast-filled blood vessels incorporating digital subtraction principles are theoretic possibilities.