7. Film Processing Flashcards
THE PROCESSING AREA
2 main sections:
- Processing section
2. Viewing section
Most modern medical imaging departments use
______ and most of these are _____
automatic processors,
daylight processors
The basic components of a darkroom include:
- ) An automatic processor
- ) Workbench
- ) A film bin
- ) Storage shelves
Only 1 side is located inside the darkroom
Automatic processor
where the cassettes are placed for unloading and loading of film
Workbench
Top surface should be made of a durable, static-resistant material.
Workbench
is used to store films that have been removed from their light-tight boxes in which are shipped
Film bin
They are placed in the ___ so they can be easily accessed
to re-load emptied cassettes
bin
contains individual slots that vary in depth
and hold various sizes of radiographic film
film bin
The largest films are placed in the ____ slot while the
smallest films are placed in the ___
front,
back
are commonly located either under the
workbench
Storage shelves
These shelves are used to store boxes of
radiographic films
Storage shelves
Darkrooms have
2 types of lights:
White lights and
Safelights
are used for equipment repair and darkroom cleaning
White lights
are used during film processing to provide
enough illumination for personnel to see but protect the
film that has been removed from the cassettes and film
bin from light fog
Safelights
Safelights use either a _____ incandescent
bulb recessed within a metallic light fixture
7.5-watt or 15-watt
A special colored ____ is attached to the front of the
light fixture to prevent white light from reaching the film
filter
The most commonly used radiographic film is
______
orthochromatic
orthochromatic is very sensitive to all colors except ___
red
The safelight filter commonly used in conventional radiographic darkrooms is the ___
GBX-2 filter
This increased sensitivity to safelight illumination is
called ______
latensification
Fogging of film by safelight illumination after it has
been radiographically exposed is called _______
post-exposure fog
appears as an undesirable supplemental blanket of density on the processed radiographic image
post-exposure fog
are commonly mounted in the darkroom
either on the ceiling or directly over the film feed tray of the automatic processor
Safelights
The safelight should be mounted at least ____ from the feed tray or work bench when a 7.5-watt bulb is used
3 feet
____ for a 15-watt bulb from the feed tray or work
bench to avoid fogging the film
4 feet
It usually takes less than a _____ to either remove a
radiographically exposed film from its cassette and feed it into the processor or to remove an unexposed film
from the film bin and place it in a cassette
minute
The darkroom should also be checked regularly for
_____ coming from outside when its door is closed
white-light leaks
The filters on the safelights should also be checked for _____
white-light leaks
The walls of the darkroom can be painted with any
color; a _____ is not necessary
dark color
The illumination intensity and hue existing in the
darkroom is controlled by the ______; the color of the walls has little or no effect and does not fog the film
safelight
can also fog the film in the darkroom if the
film is not protected
X-radiation
If the darkroom is located next to a radiographic room,
the walls must be ____ to prevent x-rays from
entering and fogging the film
lead-lined
used to protect the film from x-rays are inefficient toward stopping the highly penetrating
gamma radiation emitted by radioactive
pharmaceuticals
Lead-lined walls
The optimal temperature for unused film is _____
50-70 °F
the optimal relative humidity range is ____ in order to prevent film fog and emulsion damage
40-60 °F (40-60%)
If a film is stored in the darkroom, a separate
_____ should be attached to one of its inside walls
thermostat
Once the desired temperature is set, a _____ should be
placed over the thermostat to prevent any further
adjustments
lockbox
are stored either inside or outside the darkroom and are used to replenish the processing
chemicals in the automatic processor
Processing chemicals
Chemicals can either be stored in large round plastic
tanks called _______ or in smaller rectangular plastic jugs
replenishment tanks
The jugs must be manually
emptied into the tanks of a special _____ device
caddy
When the levels of the replenishing chemicals in the caddy tanks fall
below a certain level, a _____ is triggered by a floating bellow
device positioned in each tank
microswitch
When the bellows falls to certain level, the ______ sends an
electrical signal to illuminate a small light indicating that more chemicals are needed
microswitch
The rectangular plastic jugs containing processing chemicals are inverted and placed on top of the ____ system, where sharp
pointed metal tubes project upward
caddy
When the foil membranes that cover the opening of the jug are punctured, processing chemicals spill into the ____ tanks
caddy
Located in the vicinity of the replenishment tanks is a _____
silver recovery unit
Silver recovery units are designed to reclaim silver from the processor’s ___ tank
fixer
removes unexposed silver halide and placed along the waste lines
silver recovery
metallic silver will fuse to the iron in the wool
Glass jar with a steel wool cartridge
metal plates with current flowing through them and metallic silver binds to the plates
Electrolysis
similar to most room doors
Single-hinged door
A manual locking knob or latch prevents personnel outside of the
darkroom from opening the darkroom door when films are being
processed or when the film bin is open
Single-hinged door
simplest and cheapest
Single-hinged door
weather stripping around the door frame
Single-hinged door
this type can cause accidental exposure of film to white light
Single-hinged door
offers much more protection than single-door entrance
Double-door entrance
has two doors: one leading in and other out with a short hallway between
Double-door entrance
one door cannot be opened unless the other is closed
Double-door entrance
this type can cause trapping
Double-door entrance
makes up approximately ¾ of the circle
Sliding curved revolving door
It is bordered by, and glides within, two 360-degree tracks; one attached to the ceiling and one attached to the floor
Sliding curved revolving door
does not use a door at all. Instead, there is a minimum of 2 hallways that run parallel to each other
Maze-type entrance
At the end of the first hallway, there is a 180-degree turn into the next hallway. At the end of the second hallway there is an opening 90 degrees either to the right or left, depending on the
design.
Maze-type entrance
allows persons to enter and exit the darkroom with no risk of film fogging, but requires a large area for its layout
Maze-type entrance
wall-mounted, strategically placed between
the radiographic rooms and the darkroom or between
the viewing area and the darkroom
Passbox
After radiographic films are processed, they are hung on a _______ that contains spring-loaded tension clamps at the top that hold the upper
edge of the film
viewbox or film illuminator (negatoscope)
The _____ base of radiographic film provides the rigidity needed to facilitate the insertion of the film into these tension clamps
polyester
contain multiple fluorescent bulbs
Viewboxes
come in a variety of sizes and design
Viewboxes
Viewboxes may be either ______
fixed or motorized
can only hold films that are currently being
viewed
Fixed viewbox
When activated, a built-in motor moves the viewing banks until the desired radiographic study appears
Motorized viewbox
The exterior and interior surfaces of a viewbox’s
_____ cover should be cleaned periodically
Plexiglas
The ___ of the viewbox is also important for proper
viewing of radiographs
hue
Since the Plexiglas covers gradually become discolored, the illumination should be checked _____, or when the bulbs are changed, to ensure proper viewing conditions
semiannually
The light intensity units measured a light meter/photometer are called _____
lux or foot-candles
A typical radiographic film viewbox should have a
minimum luminance of _____
5382 lux, or 500 foot-candles
When 1 bulb burns out in a viewbox bank, ___ bulbs should be replaced using the same brand and type of bulbs
all
Special lights called _____ are used by radiologists to
evaluate radiographic images that are either grossly overexposed or to evaluate a specific area of the anatomical
image that is overexposed relative to surrounding areas
Hotlights
are constructed similarly to safelights;
however, they do not have a filter and the bulb is
generally a high-wattage incandescent bulb
Hotlights
The primary purpose of radiographic processing is to deposit enough black
metallic silver at the _____ sites in film to permit a permanent visible
image to form
latent image
Processing of a radiograph involves four primary steps: ______
and two archiving steps—______
developing, fixing,
washing and drying
Quality control experts agree that _______ is the most sensitive and
variable factor in the production of a radiograph
film processing
are accomplished in solutions that combine
numerous chemicals
Developing and fixing
involves a two-step process of washing and
drying the radiograph for use as a medical record
Archiving
