physicis of radiology equipment Flashcards
Which part of the imaging system is responsible for keeping incoming voltage adjusted to the proper value?
Line Compensator
What is the function of the recitier?
Convert alternating current to pulsating direct current.
When the frequency of the voltage waveform supplied to the x-ray tube is increased, what aspect is reduced?
Average wavelength of the produced x-ray photons
Heat loading on the anode disk
Patient exposure
Which term refers to the ability of an x-ray imaging system to maintain the same intensity of radiation, from one exposure to another for the same set of technical factors?
Reproducibility
What causes the build-up of heat at the anode?
Electrons colliding with the target.
Which condition must be met before diagnostically useful characteristic x-rays can be produced?
An inner shell electron must be completely removed
Which screen film imaging system characteristics will result in greater recorded detail?
Small phosphor crystals.
Small silver halide crystals
Thin phosphor layer
Which factors contribute to an increase in the binding energy of an electron within the atomic structure?
How close the electron is to the nucleus.
The number of protons in the nucleus
Which describes covalent bonding?
Valence electrons are shared with another atom
Which will increase the amount of x-ray beam attenuation in the patient?
Low kVp technique.
Positive contrast agents.
Hypersthenic body habitus
What x-ray beam characteristic is reduced by adding aluminum filtration?
Quantity of x-rays.
Which of the following terms describes stray radiation that is emitted through the x-ray tube housing?
Leakage
What effects will increasing amounts of filtration have on the x-ray beam?
decrease patient exposure
harden the x-ray beam
increase the percentage of beam penetration through the objects of interest
What is the reciprocity law?
the resultant opacity present on an exposed and processed film is proportional to the intesnity and duration of exposure delivered to the film
What effect does scatter radiation have on radiographic contrast?
scatter radiaion will decrease radiographic contrast
What factors determine the amount of contrast present within a radiographic image?
film contrast
developer contrast
subject contrast
Shape distortion produced on a finished raiograph will vary directly with what factor?
tube angulation
A measurement of the resultant opacity present on an x-ray film after exposure and subsequent film processing, describes what?
radiographic film contrast will increase
What is the radiographic film density measurement that is considered to be the minimum value for diagnostic information?
0.25
If each system is exposed with the same set of factors, select the imaging system that will yield the greatest radiographic density: par speed film and screens (100), detail speed screens and films (50), high speed film and screens (200), rare earth film and screens (400)
rare earth film and screens
What is the term used to describe the absorption of the primary beam by the lead strips present within a grid device?
cut off
What is the ratio of a grid constructed with lead strips that are 72 units tall separated by radiolucent material 6 units wide
12:1
What formula would you use to get the correct measurement of radiographic contrast ofr an imageyielding density values of 1.57 and 0.87 for two points on the radiograph?
mathmatical answer 0.70
What are the factors that determine tissue density?
thickness
specific gravity
atomic number
What is the primary function of setting a back up time when making an exposure with an automatic exposure control or photo timed unit?
to determine the maximum duration of the exposure
What effect does an increase in film speed have on distortion of the radiographic image?
film speed has no effect on image distortion
What will be the effect on radiographic contrast when the radiation field size is changed from 5x7 to 8x10?
contrast will decrease
What is the optimum procedure for storing boxes of unexposed radiographic film?
place boxes of film upright
store in an enviornment of 50-70 degrees and humidity 40-60 %
What factors determine total development time in an automatic film processor?
speed of the transport system
depth of the developer solution in the developer tank
What factors aid in maintaining an optimum level of developer activity in an automatic film processor?
developer temperature and rate of developer replenishment
What factors will contribue to films exiting the automatic film processor that are tacky to the touch?
improperly vented automatic film processor
low volume of chemistry in the fixer tank
chronic under replenishment of the fixer sollution
clogged dryer tubes
A change from a 1.5 mm focal spot to a 0.5mm focal spot will limit the maximum mA station that may be selected on the control panel. This change in focal spot size will also have what effect on image contrast?
image contrast will remain the same
What is the probably cause of evenly spaced scratches on the film emulsion aligned with direction of the film transport through the automatic film processor?
an improperly aligned guide shoe in a turn around assembly
What effect would you expect to see on a radiographic fims taken from a box that had been dropped from the loading bench onto floor landing on a corner of the box prior to exposure?
wave like areas of decreased density radiating from the corner of the film where the insult to the film surface occured
Measuring the characteristic responses of film to exposure and subsequent fim processing describes what?
sensitometry
What is the term given to the area of unsharpened surrounding the image of an object on a radiographic film?
penumbra
What is the unit of measurement for calibrating the “resolution” of an imaging system?
line pairs/millimeter
safelight fog will have what effect on a finished radiograph?
safelight fog will increase radiographic density and decrease radiographic contrast
To avoid absoprtion of the primary x-ray beam by lead strips present within a grid cassette, angulation of the central ray should be limited to what?
angulation along the long axis of the grid
An image that demonstrates focal areas of decreased image sharpness, is an image that indiecates the presence of?
poor screen film contact
A variation in x-ray beam intensity along the long axis of the x-ray tube, with an increased intensity toward the cathode end of the beam and a decreased intensity toward the anode is called what?
anode heel effect
Repeating artifacts that are aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel of the film through the film processor are limited to one surface of the film only, are most likely produced by what?
debris present on a roller in a crossover assembly
A safe light test should be always performed with what?
A film that has recieved some level of x-ray exposure
In the Compton interaction with mattter the photon enery is _____________ binding engery of the electron in the orbital shell
greater than
x-ray radiation is ___________ in terms of frequency and _____________ in wavelength than gamma radiation
lower; longer
What will be measured by a meter connected in series in a simple electric circuit?
amperage
The acceptable range of variation between consecutive exposures when performing a quality assurance test the consistency of radiation output for a given mAs value is what?
+ or - 5%
Where in the x-ray circuit is the prereading kilovolt meter connected?
the primary low voltage circuit
What test is performed to determine if you are experiencing rectifier failure of a single phase full wave rectified x-ray unit?
spinning top test
What are the four essential things necessary for the production of x-rays?
a source of free elections, a sudden deceleration of high speed electrons, a sudeen acceleration of electrons, and a focusing of electrons
Where in the x-ray circuit does the filament circuit draw its electrial energy?
from the low voltage primary circuit
What type of motor is required to rotate the anode within a rotating anode x-ray tube?
induction motor
As the angle of the face of the anode increases from 14 degrees to 17 degrees the size of the actual focal spot measured for a 1.5 mm filament will do what? increase, decrease, or stay the same?
remain the same
According to NCRP requirements an x-ray tube calculated to have 0.75 mm of aluminum equivalent inherent filtration must be fitted with an amount of added filtration equal to what if the tube operates at voltages above 70 kVp?
1.75 mm Al equivalent
the thickness of the anatomy seen in best focus on a film taken using linear tomotgraphy is determined by what setting on your euipment?
the amplitude
The portion of the image intensifier device that is responsible for converting light photons into free electrons is the what?
the photocathode
What is the term used to describe the falling off of sharpnes toward the edges of the image intensified image?
vignetting
What form of tramsformer power loss is decreased by utilizing a transformer core made of material with a low magnetic retentivity?
hysteresis losses
With increased levels of beam filtration where will the greatest dose savings be realized?
in the initial layers of tissue struck by the beam
Radiaition effects that are limited to the exposed population are called?
somatic
What exposure factor combinations will result in the least amount of radiaion dose to the patient?
high kVp, low mAs
Secondary barriers must contain a minimum thickness of what Pb equivalent?
1/32 inches
What is the prescribed distance used when measuring leakage radiation for the housing of a diagnostic x-ray tube?
one meter from the tube housing
The filament transformer is also known as the what?
Low voltage or step down transformer
The filament transformer operates on the principle of what?
Electromagnetic mutual induction ( two wires)
The step up transformer is also known as what?
High voltage or high tension transformer
What electron process does bremsstrahlung have?
Slows down
Changes direction
Loses some of its energy
What electron process does characteristic radiation have?
High speed
Eject an inner shell electron
Energy is equal to difference in shell
What is frequency of the electromagnetic x ray beam?
Rise and fall of photon and is measured in hertz
What is the wavelength of the electromagnetic photon?
Is the distance between two successive peaks
How are frequency and wave length related?
What type of frequency and wavelength x radiation have?
Inversely
High frequencies and short wavelengths
Beam characteristics of kVp?
Quality
Expresses the penetrating ability
What are the beam characteristics of mAs?
Expresses the quantity of amount of X-rays in beam
Measured in Roentgen
Directly proportional to mAs
What is attenuation?
Progressive absorption as it passes through matter
What is primary radiation?
Useful radiation
X-ray photons directed through the X-ray tube
What is the half value layer?
Thickness of an absorbing material required to reduce X-ray intensity by one half it’s original value
What are the fundamental properties of X-rays?
Travel in wave form. Highly penetrating Wide variety of wavelengths and energies Travel in straight lines Can ionize matter Travel at speed of light Cause fluorescence of certain crystals Cannot be focused by a lense Contain no mass or electrical charge Have high frequencies and short wavelengths
Photon interactions with matter
What is the Compton effect?
Partial absorption of incident X-ray photon
Compton interaction is influenced by the energy level of the X-ray beam, the thickness of the tissue irradiated
Photon interactions with matter
What is photoelectric absorption?
Total absorption of X-ray photon
Is influenced by the energy level of X-ray beam, mass density of tissue irradiated, and the atomic number of tissue irradiated.
What interaction is the primary source of patient radiation exposure?
Photoelectric
Photon interactions with matter
Unmodified scatter, classical, coherent, or Thompson
Change in direction, no energy
Contribute only to patient skin exposure
As tissue thickness increases, attenuation…
As tissue thickness increases, what interaction increases?
Attenuation increases
Photoelectric and Compton interaction increases
As the atomic number of tissue increases attenuation….
As the atomic number of tissue increases,the probability of photoelectric interactions…
Attenuation increases
Increases
As photon energy increases…
As photon energy increases the probability of the photoelectric effect….
Attenuation decreases
Decreases
Glass envelope is comprised of….
Pyrex glass
Protects internal components of X-ray tube
Maintains a vacuum environment
What calculation is used to determine grid ratio?
Height of lead strips divided by the width of the interspace material