Modality
The 4 medical imaging techniques: X-ray (incl. CT), Nuclear Medicine, ultrasound and MRI.
Each modality is an imaging technique with different features that, under various conditions, reveal particular properties of the part of the body examined.
With x-ray, electromagnetic radiation is sendt through the body, with MRI the body is caused to transmit radio signals (on the FM bandwidth), in nuclear medicine radioactive substances are injected into the body and in ultrasound, high frequencey sound waves are reflected by the body.
The signals reflected/transmitted by the body are recorded by computers to produce an image of the structures examined.
GE Healthcare Glossary