Coincidence detection is the simultaneous detection of two signals. The simultaneous detection for example of two photons, annihilation coincidence detection, is used in PET imaging.

See also Annihilation Coincidence Detection.

(P) The electric polarization refers to the separation of charges in a material to form electric dipoles, or the alignment of existing electric dipoles in matter when an electric field is applied. The unit of electric polarization is dipole moment per cubic meter or coulomb per square meter(C/m²).

An exponential function is a function of the form
f(x) = a^x (2³ = 2 * 2 * 2 = 8)
where a is a fixed, positive constant, called the base of the exponential function.
Exponential functions are used to express dynamic processes, also in diagnostic imaging procedures.

Iodinated contrast agents (typically iodine-substituted benzene derivatives) are bound either in nonionic or ionic compounds. Ionic contrast agents consist of the negatively charged anion and the positively charged cation. Used components of the anion are for example diatrizoate, iodamide, iothalamate or metrizoate and of the cation the sodium or meglumine ion. The osmotic pressure depends on the number of particles in solution. Ionic contrast agents have a greater osmolarity; double that of nonionic contrast agents due to delivering more iodine atoms per molecule.
Ionic contrast agents were developed first and are still in use depending on the examination. Iodine based contrast media are water soluble and as harmless as possible to the body. However, ionic agents have more side effects compared to nonionic contrast agents due to their high osmolarity.

See also Ionic Dimer.

(PSF) The point spread function describes the response of an imaging system to a point or impulse input. A hypothetical point object will generally have an extended (blurred) image resulting from the imaging process; this is the point spread function characterizing the imaging process. Considering any object as composed of an assembly of point objects, knowledge of the PSF permits the prediction of how the object will be imaged, assuming linearity of the imaging process.

See also Resolution, Phantom and Daily Quality Assurance.