Radiation Biology & X-ray Tubehead Key Terms Only Flashcards
Use this deck to study the terms for radiation and the creation of x-rays in the x-ray tubehead
collimator / collimating device
a diaphragm, usually made of lead, used to restrict the size and shape of the x-ray beam
long-term effects of radiation
effects of radiation that appear years, decades, or generations after exposure
associated with small amounts of radiation absorbed repeatedly over a long period of time
dental radiograph
a photographic image produced on a receptor by the passage of x-rays through teeth and related structures
electron
a tiny, negatively charged particle found outside the nucleus in the atom
vacuum tube
a sealed glass tube from which most of the air has been evacuated
collimation
the restriction of the size and shape of the x-ray beam in order to reduce patient exposure
radioresistant cell
a cell that is resistant to radiation (ex: bone, muscle, and nerve cells)
cell differentiation
individual characteristics of a cell that determine the response of the cell to radiation exposure
copper stem
a portion of the anode that dissipates heat away from the tungsten target
total dose
the quantity of radiation received, or the total amount of radiation energy absorbed
control panel
a part of the x-ray machine that contains an on/off switch and indicator light, an exposure button and indicator light, and control devices to regulate the x-ray beam
absorption
- the total transfer of energy from the x-ray photon to the atoms of matter through which the x-ray beam passes
- depends on the energy of the x-ray beam and the composition of the absorbing matter or tissues
tubehead
the tightly sealed heavy metal housing that contains the dental x-ray tube, including the metal housing, insulating oil, tubehead seal, x-ray tube, transformers, aluminum disks, lead collimator, and position-indicating device
contains a filament used to produce electrons and a target used to produce x-rays
cathode
- the negative electrode in the x-ray tube
- consists of a tungsten wire filament in a molybdenum cup
- supplies the electrons necessary to generate x-rays
matter
anything that occupies space and has mass
intensity
the total energy of the x-ray beam
the product of the quantity (number of x-ray photons) and quality (energy of each photon) per unit of area per time of exposure
metal housing
the metal casing of the dental x-ray tubehead that houses the x-ray tube and transformers
latent period
the amount of time that elapses between exposure to ionizing radiation and the appearance of observable clinical signs
dose-response curve
a curve that can be used to correlate the damage of tissues with the amount of radiation received
secondary radiation
radiation created when the primary beam interacts with matter
less penetrating than primary radiation
radiology
the science or study of radiation as used in medicine
a branch of medical science that deals with the use of x-rays, radioactive substances, and other forms of radiant energy in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
voltage
in dental imaging, the measurement of force that refers to the potential difference between two electrical charges
step-down transformer
in dental imaging, a device used to decrease the incoming voltage from 110 or 220 volts to the low voltage required (usually 3-5 volts)
particulate radiation
tiny particles of matter that possess mass and travel in straight lines and at high speeds (ex: electrons, beta particles, alpha particles, protons, and neutrons)
wavelength
the distance between the crest of one wave and the crest of the next wave
determines the energy and penetrating power of the radiation
exposure incident
a specific incident involving contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from procedures performed by the dental professional
recovery period
the period during which cellular damage caused by radiation is followed by repair
gray (Gy)
a unit for measuring absorbed dose
electrical current
the flow of electrons through a conductor to produce x-rays
impulse
in dental imaging, a measure of exposure time
cumulative effects
the additive effects of repeated radiation exposure
nucleon
part of an atomic nucleus (ex: protons, neutrons)
dose
the amount of energy absorbed by a tissue
maximum permissible dose (MPD)
maximum dose equivalent that a body is permitted to receive in a specific period
the dose of radiation that the body can endure with little to no injury
dental image
a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object produced by the passage of x-rays through teeth and supporting structures
dental imaging
the creation of digital representation of anatomic structures for the purpose of diagnosis
x-radiation
a high-energy radiation produced by the collision of a beam of electrons with a metal target in the x-ray tube
x-rays
a beam of energy that has the power to penetrate substances and record image shadows on image receptors
exposure factors
factors that influence the density of an image (ex: milliamperage, kilovoltage, exposure time)
nanometer
a measurement used for wavelength
thermionic emission
the release of electrons from the tungsten filament when the electrical current passes through it and heats the filament
central ray (CR)
the central portion of the primary beam of x-radiation
dental radiographer
any person who positions, exposes, and processes dental x-ray image receptors
rotation center
in panoramic imaging, the axis or pivotal point on which the image receptor and the x-ray tubehead rotate around the patient
ionization
the production of ions
the process of converting an atom into an ion, resulting in the formation of a positive atom and a dislodged negative ion
leakage radiation
any radiation, with the exception of the primary beam, that is emitted from the dental x-ray tubehead
ion pair
one positive and one negative ion, that results when an electron is removed an atom in the ionization process, causing the atom to become the positive ion and the ejected electron becomes the negative ion
free radical
an uncharged, neutral atom or molecule that exists with a single, unpaired electron in its outermost shell
cephalostat
in extraoral imaging, a device that includes a receptor holder and head positioner that allow the dental radiographer to position both receptor and patient easily
x-ray tube
a component part of the x-ray tubehead that generates x-rays, including the leaded-glass vacuum tube, cathode, and anode
milliamperage
in dental imaging, the quantity (number) of x-ray emitted from the tubehead
inverse square law
a rule that states that “the intensity of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of radiation”
as distance is increased, the radiation intensity at the object is decreased, and vice versa
focal spot
the tungsten target of the anode that converts bombarding electrons into x-ray photons, concentrating the electrons and creating an enormous amount of heat
stepwedge
a device constructed of uniform-layered thickness of an x-ray absorbing material (usually aluminum) used to demonstrate densities and contrast scales
transformer
a device used to increase or decrease the voltage of incoming electricity
dose equivilent
a measurement used to compare the biologic effects of different types of radiation
step-up transformer
in dental imaging, a device used to increase the incoming line voltage from 110 or 220 volts to the high voltage required (usually 65,000-100,000 volts)
general radiation / bremsstrahlung radiation / braking radiation
a form of radiation that occurs when speeding electrons slow down because of their interaction with the tungsten target in the anode
dose rate
the rate at which exposure to radiation occurs and the absorption takes place (determined by dose/time)
rectification
the conversion of alternating current to direct current
ionizing radiation
radiation that is capable of producing ions by removing or adding an electron to an atom
period of injury
occurs after the latent period following exposure to radiation and can include a variety of cellular injuries
filtration
the use of absorbing materials (ex: aluminum) for removing low energy x-rays from the primary beam
atomic weight / mass number
the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
beta particles
fast-moving electrons emitted from the nucleus of radioactive atoms
tubehead seal
the aluminum or leaded-glass covering of the tubehead that seals the oil in the tubehead and filters the x-ray beam