A PET scanner is a large machine with a round, doughnut shaped hole in the middle, similar to a CT or MRI unit. Within this machine are multiple rings of detectors that record the emission of energy from the radiotracer in your body.
The CT scanner is typically a large, box-like machine with a hole, or short tunnel, in the center. You will lie on a narrow examination table that slides into and out of this tunnel. Rotating around you, the x-ray tube and electronic x-ray detectors are located opposite each other in a ring, called a gantry. The computer workstation that processes the imaging information is located in a separate control room, where the technologist operates the scanner and monitors your examination.
Combined PET/CT scanners are combinations of both scanners and look similar to both the PET and CT scanners.
A computer aids in creating the images from the data obtained by the camera or scanner.
