Flouroscopy Flashcards
Main function of fluoroscopy is:
to provide real-time or dynamic studies of the internal organs.
Dynamic refers to:
structures or organs in motion.
How does the radiologist highlight the internal organs?
With the aid of contrast material (such as barium).
Still photos taken during fluoro are called:
“Spot” images.
Who invented fluoroscopy and when?
Thomas Edison in 1896.
How did radiologists view fluoro screens at first?
By directly exposing their eyes to the X-ray beam.
How was the original fluoro design altered to improve safety to the radiologist?
An arrangement of mirrors permitted an indirect way to view the image & the primary beam was shielded into a lead enclosure.
How did the original fluoro screen need to be viewed and what did the radiologist have to do to prepare to view the screen?
Had to be viewed in a darkened room & the radiologist would need 15 minutes of dark adaptation.
What was invented that overcame the need for the radiologist to have to adapt to the dark before viewing a fluoro screen?
Image Intensification Tubes in 1948.
Why was the invention of image intensification tubes so significant?
They raised the illumination of the fluoro screen to the level that the human eye can perceive it and where the visual acuity is the greatest.
Though the invention of image intensifiers increased safety to the radiologist and improved brightness of the image, the downside was:
loss of detail.
Where is the X-ray tube located on a fluoroscopy table and where is the image intensifier located?
The tube is under the table and the I.I. is above the patient. (Though there are some that are designed exactly opposite.)
Why are the tube and I.I. usually mounted on a c-arm?
To maintain their alignment. The c-arm permits the IR to be raised and lowered and permits scanning over the length and width of the table.
What is the carriage on the fluoroscopy machine?
The arm the supports the equipment which is suspended over the table.
What does the carriage hold within it?
It holds the I.I. tube, controls for power drive to the table, brightness control, spot image selection, tube shutters, spot imaging/cine camera and video input tube.
The carriage can be disengaged & pushed away from the table to gain access to pt, however:
an exposure cannot commence until carriage is returned to full beam intercept position.
What allows the radiologist to have their hands free to position the pt or operate the carriage?
The foot switch. Care must be taken not to unintentionally step on the switch once the fluoro unit is engaged.
What mA is the tube operated at during fluoro?
less than 5 mA (0.5 - 5.0 mA). However, the dose is still higher than conventional X-ray since the beam is on for a much longer time.
The brightness of a fluoro exam depends on:
Anatomy
kVp
mA
What type of technique is preferred for fluoro (High or low kVp and high or low mA?)?
High kVp and low mA.
What is the Automatic Brightness Control (ABC)?
A function of the fluoro unit that maintains the overall appearance of the image (its contrast and density) by automatically adjusting the kVp, mA or both.
How does the ABC work?
It either monitors the current throughout the I.I. or the output phosphor intensity and adjusts the exposure factor if the monitored value falls below preset levels.
What other names is the ABC referred to?
Automatic Dose Control (ADC) or Automatic Brightness Stabilization (ABS).
The input phosphor is made of
cesium iodide and is bonded to the curved surface of the tube itself
The image intensifier consists of five basic parts:
input phosphor photocathode electrostatic focusing lenses accelerating anode output phosphor
The cesium iodide of the input phosphor absorbs:
the remnant X-ray photon energy and emits light in response.
The photocathode is made of
cesium and antimony compounds.
When the emitted light from the input phosphor strikes the photocathode:
it emits electrons through photoemission.
The input phosphor is bonded to:
the photocathode.
The input phosphor and photocathode (or the input screen) are in a concave shape because:
to maintain the same distance between each point on the input screen and its corresponding location on the output screen.
What are the electrostatic focusing lenses and what do they do?
negatively charged plates that repel the electron stream, focusing it on the small output phosphor.
What does the accelerating anode do?
sets the electron stream in motion at a constant velocity.
Where is the accelerating anode located?
at the neck of the image intensifier near the output phosphor.
What is the potential difference between the anode and cathode of a fluoro tube?
25 kV
What is the output phosphor made of?
silver-activated zinc cadmium sulfide.
Where is the output phosphor located?
at the opposite end of the image intensifier tube, just beyond the accelerating anode.
What does the output phosphor do?
absorbs electrons and emits light in response.
How much does the image intensifier amplify the brightness of an image?
500-8000 times.
Where is the primary brightness attained?
from the acceleration and focusing of the electron beam.
Describe the tube housing.
Glass or metal envelope, which provide structural support & maintains vacuum. Encased in a lead-lined housing which absorbs the primary beam while permitting the intensified light photon image to be transmitted to the viewer.
The input phosphor contains crystals of:
cesium iodide.
Between the input screen and the output screen, something is changed about the image. What?
The image is reversed.
Input screen is which end of the image intensifier? (Anode or cathode?)
Cathode.
How is the anode charged?
Positively, therefore attracting the negative electrons.
What does the anode look like?
A circular plate with a hole in the middle to allow electrons to go through to the output screen.
Describe the output screen.
It is a fluorescent screen made of zinc cadmium sulfide. Electrons interact with the phosphor and emit light. It is very small to give high resolution.
How is light prevented from returning to the input screen from the output screen?
A filter is placed under the output phosphor.
The ratio of the number of light photons at the output phosphor to the number of light photons from the input phosphor is called:
the flux gain.
The flux gain is a measurement of:
how efficient the output screen is in converting elections to light.
The ratio of the square of the diameter of the input phosphor to the square of the diameter of the output phosphor is:
minification gain.
Minification gain results when:
the amount of electrons that were produced at the large input screen are being compressed into the area of the small output screen.
Typical output screens have a diameter of:
1 inch.
Minification gain is simply:
an increase in brightness or intensity.
The increased illumination (or brightness gain) is due to two factors:
Flux gain and minification gain.
The ability of the image intensifier to increase the illumination level of the image is:
The brightness gain.
Brightness gain = (what two factors and how are they combined?)
minification gain x flux gain
Brightness gain of most image intensifiers is:
5,000 - 30,000
Brightness gain decreases with:
tube age and use. An increase in mA is necessary in order to compensate.
As the image intensifier tube ages, pt does increases in order to maintain brightness and when the tube can no longer be adjusted for brightness:
the I.I. must be replaced.
The illumination intensity at the output phosphor compared to the radiation intensity incident on the input phosphor is:
Conversion Factor
Conversion factor =
Output phorphor ilumination (cd/m^2) / Input exposure rate (mR/s)
Image intensifiers have conversion factors of _______ which corresponds to a brightness gain of ________
50 to 300, and 5,000 to 30,000.
Magnification is accomplished through
the use of multi field image intensifiers.