Dental Radiology Flashcards
what are x-rays a form of?
electromagnetic radiation
what are the properties of electromagnetic radiation?
No mass
No charge
Travel speed of light
Travel in vacuum
what are the 7 main groups on the EM spectrum?
Divided into 7 main groups
* Gamma ray (shortest wavelength, highest frequency, highest energy)
* X - ray
* Ultraviolet
* Visible
* Infrared
* Microwave
* Radio (opposite gamma)
how is frequency described?
how many times waves shape repeats per unit time
what are the units of frequency and what does it mean?
- In hertz
- One hertz = one cycle per second
what is the description of wavelength?
distance over which wave shape repeats
what is the formula for speed?
Speed = frequency X wavelength
What is the speed of EM?
speed of light
what happens if frequency increases?
wavelength decreases
how are photons known?
o Em radiation involves the movements of energy as packets of energy known as photons
what is photon energy measured in?
o Energy usually measured in electron volts, eV
what are photon energies in x-rays? (number)
124eV
what are the 2 types of x-rays
Hard (higher energies)
* Able to penetrate human tissues
Soft (lower energies)
* Easily absorbed
what are properties of x-rays?
Form of EM radiation
* No mass
* no charge
* very fast
* travel in vacuum
undetectable to human senses
man made
cause ionisation
describe the basic production of x-rays?
electron fired at very high speed
collision – kinetic energy converted to EM radiation and heat
photons aimed at a subject
what is the central nucleus made up of?
- Protons
o Number of these = atomic number (Z) - Neutrons
- Mass number (A) = no. protons + neutrons
what is the innermost electron shell?
K
what are the max no. electrons a shell can hold
o K= 2, L= 8, M=18, N=32
how are orbiting electrons held within their shells?
electrostatic force
what is description of binding energy?
Binding energy = additional energy required to exceed electrostatic force and remove an electron from shell
what shell has the highest binding energies?
K shell
what does a more positive charged nucleus mean?
greater electrostatic force
what is the enrgy requeired to move an electron to a more outer shell?
Diff in biding energies of 2 shells, if to a more inner shell energy is released
what is current described as?
Flow of electric charge, usually by movement of electrons
what is unit of current?
- Measure of how much charge flows past a point per sec
what are the descriptions of Direct and alternating current?
- Direct current (DC) = constant unidirectional flow
- Alternating current (AC) = flow repeatedly reverses direction
what is voltage described as?
Diff in electrical potential between 2 points in an electrical field
what does a transformer do?
Alter the voltage and current from one circuit to another
what are the 2 separate transformers required for an x-ray unit?
step up and step down transformer
what does a step up transformer do?
- Increase potential diff across x-ray tube
what is the voltage of a step up transformer?
usually 60-70 kV
what is the current reduced to in a step up transformer?
milliamps (mA)
what is description of a step down transformer?
- Decrease potential diff across filament
what does x-ray production require?
requires a unidirectional current
what doe x-ray units powered by?
mains electricity (AC)
what do x-ray unit generators do? and what is process known as?
modify AC so it mimics a constant DC
process known as recitfiication
what is intensity proportional to?
Proportional to current in filament (mA) and potential diff across x-ray tube (kV)
what is intensity of beam inversely proportional to?
o Intensity of beam inversely proportional to square of distance between x-ray source and the point of measurement
o Therefore doubling distance will quarter dose
explain basics of collision between electrons and atoms?
o Electrons accelerated towards atoms at high speed
o Collison. Kinetic energy of these electrons -> EM radiation (ideally x-ray photons) + heat
o X-ray photons aimed at subjected
what are x-ray tube components?
- glass envelope
- cathode (-ve)
- anode (+ve)
what is purpose of glass envelope?
o Vacuum inside
o Air tight enclosure
in cathode what is passed through wire?
Low-voltage, high current electricity passed through wire
how are electrons released from atoms in wire for cathode?
thermionic emission
greater current in filament in cathode means what?
Greater current in filament -> greater heat + greater no. electrons
what is cathode filament made of?
tungsten
what are properties of filament in cathode?
- High melting point
o Can withstand high temps - High atomic number (Z=74)
- Malleable
what does focusing cup in cathode do?
- (-) charged -> repels electrons released at filaments
- Shaped to focus on small point on anode target
what is focusing cup in cathode made of?
molybendum
what does target in anode produce?
photons
what is target in anode made of?
tungsten
what is focal spot on target?
Focal spot = precise are on target where electrons collide and x-rays are produced (i.e x-ray source)
what is a problem with focal spot angulation? and how does focal spot size matter with this?
heat
Less 1 percent of kinetic energy from electrons is converted to x-ray photons. (almost all into heat)
Smaller focal spot size = greater image quality but great heat concentration
what is solution to problem for focal spot in target?
angled target?
how does an angled target help in producing x-rays?
Increase actual surface area where electrons impact = better heat tolerance
Reduces the apparent SA from where beam is emitted = smaller penumbra effect
what is heat dissipating block made of?
copper
what is cathode anode relationship?
o High voltage electricity passed through x-ray tube
- High potential diff between (-) cathode and
(+) anode
o Electrons released at filament are repelled away from cathode and attracted to anode
- Accelerate to very high speed over very short
distance
* Up to half speed of light
-Greater potential diff -> greater acceleration ->
greater kinetic energy
Electrons have high kinetic energy when colliding with anode target
what does step down transformer decrease potential difference to?
10V
what is electron volts (eV) used to measure?
o Units used to measure kinetic energy gained by electrons as they accelerate from cathode to anode
what is penumbra effect?
o Blurring radiographic image due to focal spot not being a single point (but rather a small area)
Minimised by shrinking size of focal spot
what does collimator do?
reduces pt dose