Radiation, Discovery and Equipment Flashcards
Bucky mechanism
grid that is an integral part of the x-ray table, located below the tabletop and above a cassette tray; decreases the amount of scatter radiation reaching the image receptor, which increases contrast; moves during exposure so that no grid lines appear on the image
Collimator
diaphragm or system of diaphragms made of an absorbing material; designed to define the dimensions and direction of a beam of radiation device consisting of four rectilinear radiopaque blades that are adjustable to control x-ray field size and shape
Longitudinal
lengthwise; along the long axis
Transverse
placed crosswise; situated at right angles to the long axis of a part
Vertical
perpendicular to the plane of the horizon
Dual Nature of X-ray Energy
X-rays act like both waves and particles.
What year were x-rays discovered?
1895
Identify 2 of the properties of x-rays
There are 14.... Are invisible Are electrically neutral Have no mass Travel at the speed of light in a vacuum Cannot be optically focused Form a polyenergetic or heterogeneous beam Can be produced in a range of energies Travel in straight lines Can cause some substances to fluoresce Cause chemical changes in radiographic and photographic film Can penetrate the human body Can be absorbed or scattered in the human body Can produce secondary radiation Can cause damage to living tissue
Describe the difference between a mobile x-ray unit and a c-arm
Mobile X-ray unit can be moved to a patient’s room to a static radiographic image.
C-arm is a fluoroscopy unit that is commonly used in the OR and produces dynamic radiographic images.
frequency
The number of waves passing a given point per given unit of time. Frequency is represented by a lowercase f or by the Greek letter nu (ν), and values are given in Hertz (Hz).
wavelength
The distance between two successive crests or troughs.
electromagnetic radiation
Radiation that has both electrical and magnetic properties. All radiations that are electromagnetic make up a spectrum.
photon
A small, discrete bundle of energy.
ionization
The ability to remove (eject) electrons; a property of x-rays.
fluorescence
instantaneous production of light resulting from the interaction of some type of energy (in this case x-rays) and some element or compound