Week One: Radiography

Question 1

What are the KEYS in a technicians’ role in imaging?

Answer 1

Consistent exposure and processing standards and a repetitive workflow

Question 2

What is an X-Ray?

Answer 2

A short wavelength portion of the EM spectrum having an ability to penetrate/pass through biological tissue

Question 3

How is an X-ray created?

Answer 3

By a machine that converts electricity into the EMR, hits and emerges from a target and is then recorded as an image on a capture device

Question 4

What is a focal spot?

Answer 4

May be a L or S (select one of two cathode filaments in selected larger machines)

Question 5

What is the effective focal spot size?

Answer 5

A reflection from anode’s surface

Question 6

What is mAs?

Answer 6

Milliamperage at filament X exposure time

Controls the electron ‘boil’ from cathode and the quantity of X rays emanating off of the anode

Question 7

What is Kvp?

Answer 7

The thousands of volts applied to ‘drive’ electrons from cathode to anode (Changes the EMR wavelength of the x-rays to affects the penetrant quality of the x-rays

Question 8

What is the film-focal distance usually set to?

Answer 8

40’

Question 9

FFD- The closer you get the _____ the x-rays and the further you get the _____ the x-rays

Answer 9

Stronger, weaker

Question 10

What does collimate mean?

Answer 10

Accurately allign

Question 11

At departure from the tube head the irradiation is filtered through a thin sheet of…

Answer 11

Aluminum

Removes/absorbs ‘softer’ irradiation to ‘harder’ beam

Question 12

Order these into which lets more x-rays through to which ones stop more x-rays
water-filled, air, lead, water-containing,bone

Answer 12

Air, water-containing, water-filled, bone, lead

Question 13

Latent image becomes a real image when the film is…

Answer 13

Processed

Question 14

What is a latent image?

Answer 14

Potential image, not yet formed

Question 15

What is True DR?

Answer 15

True digital radiography

Pixel sized sensor arrays detect the intensity and frequency of the transmitted x-rays

Question 16

What is CR?

Answer 16

Computerized radiography
Not a direct process but results in a digitized image
Special cassettes with a storage phosphor that captures the latenet image

Question 17

Describe the A&Pof a cassette

Answer 17

Front is radiolucent, intensifying screens, support/phosphor layers are part of the intensifying screens, emulsion layers contain granules of silver halloid

Question 18

What does a ‘cloud’ look like on a film?

Answer 18

Dense black, no image

Question 19

Where does developer solution work best (pH)

Answer 19

Alkaline

Question 20

What are the steps of processing a film?

Answer 20

Develop: Put image into developer (forms a reaction between silver particles and developer solution)
Stop: Removes developer from emulsions
Fix: Dissolves particles that weren’t used leaving an actual image
Wash and dry: Use tap water to wash off

Question 21

What does fresh developer look like? What does old developer look like?
(Dr. Crane’s words)

Answer 21

Fresh: Lemonade
Old: Iced tea

Question 22

What is the anode heel effect?

Answer 22

Thicker side of the anatomy points toward the cathode (-), (CAVT’s cathode is on left side so ‘head left’), important in deep chested dogs

Question 23

What does x-ray scatter do to a film?

Answer 23

Creates film ‘fog’, reduces contrast, degrades sharp edge effects