Basics of X-Rays

Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen

(German Physicist: 1845-1923)

Friday 8th November 1895
1901- Nobel Prize
William David Coolidge

1913
(USA engineer: 1873-1975)
Produced the electrically heated X-ray tubes
X-Ray Tube
 RADIOLOGY
• Radiology is the branch of science dealing with use of X-rays,
radioactive substances in diagnosis and treatment of disease.
• Radiologic and radiological are the adjectives.
• Radiologist (qualified person)
• Radiographer (technician).
 X-Ray Generations
• A beam of high energy electrons from a heated filament bombards a
positively charged target and x-rays are produced.
 mA
(milliamperes or milliamperage)
Quantity of electrons produced at filament
Directly proportional to Quantity of X-Rays produced in tube
Thus increasing the mA increases the x-ray output
 kV / kVp
(kilo Voltage / kilo Voltage potential)
Voltage applied between the cathode and anode
Controls the speed of the electrons towards the anode
kVp is the penetration power of x-rays
High penetrating x-rays are high quality or hard x-rays
Low penetrating x-rays are low quality or soft x-rays
 X-ray Emission
(x-ray quantity and quality)
Two main properties, its quantity and quality.
1. Quantity of X-rays
mA is the quantity of x-Rays
2. Quality of X-Rays
kVp is the penetration power of x-rays
 X- Ray Properties

• Can ionize the atom

• Penetrate solid matter
• Invisible
• Cannot be felt
• Travel in a straight line with the speed of light 3 X 108 meters / second.
• Cannot be focused by a lens.
• It has no mass and no charge and thus not deflected (unaffected) by
electrical or magnetic field.
• X-rays are used in medicine, research and industry.
 How to Assess Efficiency of Machine

Portable 70-110kV and 15-35 mA

Mobile, 90-125 kV, 40-300 mA

Fixed, 120-200kV, 300-500mA

 Main Body Densities

• Air/Gas
• Fat
• Soft tissue/Fluid
• Mineral & Bone, Metal
 IMAGE FORMATION
• X-ray image is the pattern of information that an x-ray beam acquires
at it passes through different body tissues after interaction.
• X-ray image is present in space but it is converted to a visible image
on radiographic film.
• An X-ray film is a material used to read information from an x-ray
image.
• X-ray film is similar to that of photographic film.
• X-ray films when unexposed to x-rays are white in colour.
 X-Ray Beam Interaction with object
• When the x-rays fall on the object, they undergo following changes
• Penetration / Transmission
• Absorption
• Deflection / Scatter Radiation
 X-Ray Image
i. Geometric rules applicable to ordinary shadow apply to x-rays
ii. If an object is placed in the path of a source of light, a shadow is
formed.
iii. If an object is placed in the path of a source of x-ray, an image is
produced.
Un-exposed and Exposed X-ray Film

Those areas which become exposed to x-rays become black in

colour, and those areas where x-rays fail to reach the film
remain white in colour.
 X-Ray Cassette

Conventional Cassette for X-ray Film

Digital/CR X-ray Cassette

X-Ray Taking Procedure
Step 1
Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5
 Radiographic Quality
• Radiograph is a permanent record
• The purpose of radiography is to obtain as accurate an image as
possible of the structure being radiographed.
• The most important factors are the
• Sharpness
• Proper Size
• Proper Shape of the image of object.
Factors Affecting Radiographic Quality
Image magnification
Image distortion
Image unsharpness
 Image Magnification
i. As the object is brought nearer to the source of the light, the shadow
enlarges and vice versa.
ii. Distance of the object from the film (OFD).
i. Magnification is higher if the object is kept away from the film
ii. and is least if it is closer to the film.
iii. Magnification of some degree is usually present in every clinical radiograph.
iii. So it is important to keep the patient as close to the x-ray film as possible.
iv. The distance between focal spot of the tube and the film (FFD) also
influences the magnification of the image. At higher FFD (> 75 cm), only
parallel rays around the central ray form the image as the peripheral rays are
cutout. For routine radiography in veterinary practice, FFD is kept at 90 cm.
 2. Image Distortion
• A radiograph is not an exact picture of the structure being examined
and differences of varying degrees are present in
shape and
size
• Misrepresentation of shape and size is called image distortion.
• In other words, distortion means unequal magnification of different
portions of the same object.
• Image distortion cannot be eliminated completely.
• Distortion of the image depends upon two factors.
 Shape of the object
• The image of a rectangular opaque object is almost square.
• The image of sphere will be circular only along the projection of the
central axis.
• The image of thick objects is distorted more than that of thin objects
because object to film distance with thicker objects changes
measurably across the object.
 Square is Rectangular

Oval is circular Circular is Oval Oval is circular

When not parallel to film When not parallel to film When not parallel to film
Position of the object

The image of an inclined object will be

smaller than the object itself
 Image Un-sharpness
Loss of radiographic quality due to the movement of either the patient
or the x-ray tube or the film during x-ray exposure.
• Blurred image/Fogging
 Terminology
• Anatomical Terms
• Cranial, caudal, dorsal ventral
Radio-opaque Over-exposed Under-exposed Artefacts
Radio-lucent (man made or un natural)

Superimposed
Two
Dimension
al
Two views at 90 degrees each
 Cranial

Dorsal

Cranial Caudal Right Left

Ventral
Caudal

Lateral VD /AP View

 Radiographic Views
Ventro-dorsal = Anterio-posterior
Dorso-Ventral = Posterio-Anterior
Right lateral
Left lateral
Medio-latera
Latero-medial
Oblique
Ventro-dorsal Dorso-Ventral
Right-lateral Left-lateral
Medio-lateral Latero-medial
Oblique
• Plain or Survey Radiograph
• Contrast Radiograph
• Gastrography/gastrogram
• Esophagraphy/esophagram
• Cardiography /cardiogram
 Hazards of X-rays
• X-Ray Hazards, X-Ray Reading and Positioning
• The x-ray beam while traversing the tissue forces the electrons to be
ejected from the atomic lattice.
• The cells within the tissue come to a state of high chemical reactivity
which can initiate biological effects.
• The cellular injury causes pathological and physiological changes
• The radiation effects may be somatic or genetic.
• Radiation protection
• No individual other than the operator and essentially
involved in procedure
• Cassette holding device should be sued in large animals
• For multiple exposures, persons holding cassette should be
changed.
• The lead equivalent of gloves should not be less than 0.33
mm for 100kV. Preferably 0.5mm lead equivalent. Googles
recommended in fluoroscopy examination .s
• The wall of x-ray room should be at least 22cm thick and
should be of concrete into which iron may be introduced.
• Lead lining 2mm