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Questions and Answers
What type of x-radiation is characteristic of the target element?
What type of x-radiation is characteristic of the target element?
Characteristic x-rays
What is the effect of adding filtration to the useful x-ray beam?
What is the effect of adding filtration to the useful x-ray beam?
Increases the average energy while reducing x-ray quantity
What happens to the x-ray quantity as the atomic number of the target material increases?
What happens to the x-ray quantity as the atomic number of the target material increases?
Increases
What is the effect of a 15% increase in kVp in the diagnostic range?
What is the effect of a 15% increase in kVp in the diagnostic range?
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What type of x-radiation is most common in the diagnostic range?
What type of x-radiation is most common in the diagnostic range?
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What are the five voltage waveforms mentioned in the text?
What are the five voltage waveforms mentioned in the text?
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How does operation with three-phase power or high frequency affect the kVp and mAs in comparison to single phase power?
How does operation with three-phase power or high frequency affect the kVp and mAs in comparison to single phase power?
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How is the quality of x-rays measured in radiography?
How is the quality of x-rays measured in radiography?
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What is the typical HVL for diagnostic x-rays in terms of aluminum or soft tissue thickness?
What is the typical HVL for diagnostic x-rays in terms of aluminum or soft tissue thickness?
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How are high-energy x-rays compared to low-energy x-rays in terms of penetration through soft tissue?
How are high-energy x-rays compared to low-energy x-rays in terms of penetration through soft tissue?
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What is the approximate equivalent increase in kVp when operating with three-phase power or high frequency, in comparison to single phase power?
What is the approximate equivalent increase in kVp when operating with three-phase power or high frequency, in comparison to single phase power?
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What is the typical Half-Value Layer (HVL) for diagnostic x-rays in terms of aluminum thickness?
What is the typical Half-Value Layer (HVL) for diagnostic x-rays in terms of aluminum thickness?
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At what rate are 100-keV x-rays attenuated in soft tissue?
At what rate are 100-keV x-rays attenuated in soft tissue?
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How does the attenuation rate of high-energy x-rays compare to low-energy x-rays in soft tissue?
How does the attenuation rate of high-energy x-rays compare to low-energy x-rays in soft tissue?
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What type of x-rays are emitted when an outer-shell electron fills an inner-shell void?
What type of x-rays are emitted when an outer-shell electron fills an inner-shell void?
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How does the addition of filtration to the useful x-ray beam affect the x-ray beam intensity and average energy?
How does the addition of filtration to the useful x-ray beam affect the x-ray beam intensity and average energy?
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What is the effect of a change in mA or mAs on the amplitude of the x-ray emission spectrum?
What is the effect of a change in mA or mAs on the amplitude of the x-ray emission spectrum?
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What happens to the x-ray quantity as the atomic number of the target material increases?
What happens to the x-ray quantity as the atomic number of the target material increases?
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What is the general shape of an emission spectrum?
What is the general shape of an emission spectrum?
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What type of x-radiation is most common in the diagnostic range?
What type of x-radiation is most common in the diagnostic range?
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How does the position along the energy axis of an emission spectrum relate to the effective energy or quality of the x-ray beam?
How does the position along the energy axis of an emission spectrum relate to the effective energy or quality of the x-ray beam?
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What is the effect of a 15% increase in kVp in the diagnostic range?
What is the effect of a 15% increase in kVp in the diagnostic range?
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What is the effect of the atomic number of the target material on the number and effective energy of x-rays?
What is the effect of the atomic number of the target material on the number and effective energy of x-rays?
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What is the usefulness of the K-characteristic x-rays of tungsten for imaging?
What is the usefulness of the K-characteristic x-rays of tungsten for imaging?
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Study Notes
Characteristic Radiation
- Characteristic radiation is emitted when an outer-shell electron fills an inner-shell void
Filtration and X-ray Beam
- Adding filtration to the x-ray beam increases the average energy of the beam
- Increases the beam's penetrability and reduces patient dose
X-ray Quantity and Atomic Number
- As the atomic number of the target material increases, the x-ray quantity increases proportionally
kVp Changes and X-ray Beam
- A 15% increase in kVp in the diagnostic range results in a doubling of x-ray intensity
X-ray Emission Spectrum
- The shape of an emission spectrum is generally a continuous curve with a peak
- The peak is caused by the Bremsstrahlung radiation
Voltage Waveforms
- Five common voltage waveforms are: single-phase, three-phase, high-frequency, constant potential, and pulsed
- Operation with three-phase or high frequency results in a more consistent x-ray beam
- This leads to a more efficient kVp and mAs compared to single-phase power
X-ray Quality and HVL
- The quality of x-rays is measured by their ability to penetrate matter
- Half-Value Layer (HVL) is a measurement of the thickness of a material required to reduce the x-ray intensity by half
- A typical HVL for diagnostic x-rays is about 2-3 mm of aluminum or 1-2 cm of soft tissue
High- and Low-Energy X-rays
- High-energy x-rays are more penetrating than low-energy x-rays
- They are less likely to be absorbed by soft tissue
Three-Phase/High Frequency Vs. Single-Phase
- Operating with three-phase or high frequency results in an approximate 10-12% increase in kVp compared to single-phase power
X-ray Attenuation
- 100-keV x-rays are attenuated in soft tissue at a rate of about 50% per centimeter.
- High-energy x-rays are less attenuated than low-energy x-rays in soft tissue
Tungsten K-Characteristic X-rays
- The K-characteristic x-rays of tungsten are useful for imaging because they contribute to the overall image contrast
X-ray Beam Intensity and mAs
- Changes in mA or mAs directly impact the intensity of the x-ray beam
- An increase in mA or mAs results in an increased x-ray quantity.
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Description
Test your knowledge of X-ray production with this quiz covering bremsstrahlung and characteristic x-rays, as well as the production processes involved. Recommended textbook: Stewart C. Bushong, Radiologic Science for Technologists: Physics, Biology, and Protection, 10th ed., Mosby, 2012. (ISBN 978-0323081351)
