X-ray production

Question 1

What are the 7 components of the X-ray tube head?

Answer 1

1-metal housing
2-Power supply (transformers)
3-x-ray tube
4-Oil
5-Collimator (lead lined)
6-Aluminum filters
7-Aiming cylinder (lead lined)

Question 2

What three kind of energy are part of Bremsstrahlung radiation?

Answer 2

1-Direct collisions with nucleus (highest energy)
2-Electrons passing close to nucleus and bending (medium energy)
3-Electrons passing at a distance and bend slightly (low energy)

Question 3

When a high speed electron collides with an orbiting inner ring electron in the tungsten target what type or radiation is given off?

Answer 3

Characteristic radiation (59 keV for tungsten)

Question 4

How is the KVP of a machine determined?

Answer 4

by the highest energy produced

Question 5

The tungsten filament and molybdenum focusing cup comprise what?

Answer 5

The cathode (-)

*produce cloud of electrons

Question 6

The tungsten target and copper stem comprise what?

Answer 6

Anode (+)

*Convert kinetic energy of electron stream into X-rays and heat

Question 7

Low voltage current is run through the __________ to generate a stream of electrons

Answer 7

Filament

Question 8

High voltage current is run through the _________ to accelerate the electron stream to a level that x-rays can be produced

Answer 8

between the molybdenum cup (cathode) and the copper/tungsten (anode)

Question 9

What three types of transformers are in an x-ray head assembly?

Answer 9

1-step down filament transformer (reduces voltage to 3-5 v)
2-Step-up transformer (increases voltage to 60-100 kV)
3-Auto Transformer (dial controlled to change the voltage of the step up transformer)

Question 10

What part of the x-ray tube is most likely to malfunction?

Answer 10

Filament (Burnout)

Question 11

What is used to filter/absorb low energy photons from the X-ray head?

Answer 11

Aluminum filters

Question 12

Reducing the size of the x-ray beam is accomplished by what?

Answer 12

Collimation

Question 13

How can you calculate the exposure based on distance away from the source?

Answer 13

Inverse square law

Question 14

When low energy photons are deflected by outer ring electrons causing a film fog, what is it called?

Answer 14

Coherent scattering

Question 15

When incident photons are absorbed by an atom resulting in a a lighter area on the film, what is is called?

Answer 15

Photoelectric absorption (makes radiographic imaging possible)

Question 16

Photons interacting with the outer orbital electrons often darkening and degrading the image while carrying no useful information are called what?

Answer 16

Compton scattering

*Accounts for about 49% of interactions in dental radiography