collimation

Pronunciation: kol′i-mā′shŭn

Definition:

1. The method, in radiology, of restricting and confining the x-ray beam to a given area and, in nuclear medicine, of restricting the detection of emitted radiations from a given area of interest.
2. A characteristic of laser light, in which all rays are nondivergent. The combination of collimation, coherence, and monochromatism produces, over a long distance, a bright, precise, finely focused beam.

[L. collineo, to direct in a straight line]

See Also: laser, coherence

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