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Spectral imaging (radiography)
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<p>Spectral imaging is an umbrella term for energy-resolved <a href="/facts/X-ray_imaging/ab1bvq3q">X-ray imaging</a> in medicine. The technique makes use of the energy dependence of X-ray attenuation to either increase the <a href="/facts/Contrast-to-noise_ratio/N7a5sajw">contrast-to-noise ratio</a>, or to provide quantitative image data and reduce image artefacts by so-called material decomposition. Dual-energy imaging, i.e. imaging at two energy levels, is a special case of spectral imaging and is still the most widely used terminology, but the terms "spectral imaging" and "spectral CT" have been coined to acknowledge the fact that <a href="/facts/Photon-counting_detector/eaF6pJts">photon-counting detectors</a> have the potential for measurements at a larger number of energy levels. </p>