For more than a hundred years, the German Museum in Munich has been presenting masterpieces of science and technology. The ceramics exhibition is showcasing a particularly interesting exhibit: the detector of a Siemens computed tomography (CT) system with Ultra Fast Ceramic (UFC^®).

The detector is the centerpiece of Siemens high-performance CT systems, which by means of simultaneous acquisition of up to 64 thin slices per rotation, enable higher volume coverage and at the same time, higher resolution. During a CT-examination, the X-ray tube and the detector – positioned opposite to it – rotate around the patient’s body. The X-rays that pass through the body are selectively attenuated, according to the type and thickness of the tissue. The detector acquires the attenuated X-rays and converts them into visible light. Photodiodes transform the light into electrical signals. Detector electronics then convert these hardly measurable electrical signals into digital signals with very high precision. They are transmitted over high-speed fiber-optics to the image processor. Complex computer calculations then generate high-resolution clinical images in real time.