RADIOLOGY PHYSICS

X-RAY PRODUCTION

Reported by
MARIA THERESA M. NAVARRO, M.D.
Part I
 X-RAY MACHINE
• X-ray tube
• Operating console
• High-voltage generator
 Operating Console
• Apparatus that allows the radiographer to
control the x-ray tube current and voltage so
that the useful beam is of proper quantity
and quality
 High Voltage Generator
• Responsible for converting the low voltage
from the electric power company into a
kilovoltage of the proper waveform
 X-RAY TUBE
• 1. SUPPORT STRUCTURE
• 2. PROTECTIVE HOUSING
• 3. GLASS OR METAL ENVELOPE
 SUPPORT STRUCTURE
a. Ceiling support - allows the greatest case
of movement and range of position
b. Floor-to-ceiling support
c. Floor-mount system
d. Fluoroscopy tube
e. C-arm – mobile fluoroscopy unit
 PROTECTIVE HOUSING
a. Reduces leakage radiation to 100mR per
hour at 1 meter
b. Provides mechanical support protecting
the tube from damage
c. To conduct heat away from the x-ray
target
 GLASS OR METAL
ENVELOPE

• Surrounds the cathode (-) and anode (+),

which are the electrodes at the ends of the
vacuum tube (Coolidge tube).
• made of Pyrex glass to withstand the
tremendous heat generated.
• maintains a vacuum or empty space
CATHODE
• negative side of the x-ray tube
• TWO PRIMARY PARTS
– a. Filament
– b. Focusing cup
CATHODE
• A. FILAMENT

• THERMIONIC EMISSION
At 4 amperes and above, the outer-shell
electrons are literally boiled off and ejected
from the filament
CATHODE
• B. FOCUSING CUP

-where the filament is embedded

- negatively charged
 FILAMENT CURRENT

• SPACE CHARGE

• SPACE CHARGE EFFECT

ANODE
• positive side of the x-ray tube
• Function:
– electrical conductor
– mechanical support
– thermal conductor
• Two Types:
– Stationary anode
– Rotating anode
TARGET
• area of the anode struck by the electrons
from the cathode
• TUNGSTEN
a. High atomic number (74) – high efficiency in
x-ray production and in high energy x-rays
b. Thermal conductivity – nearly equal to that of
copper ; efficient for dissipating heat
c. High melting point – 3400 C ; can stand up
under high tube current without pitting or
bubbling.
Part II
 Two Types of X-rays
• CHARACTERIC X-RAYS
- produced by transitions of orbital electrons
from outer to inner shells

• BREMSSTRAHLUNG X-RAYS
- braking of projectile electrons by the nucleus
- most x-rays in the diagnostic range
1. mA
- a change in mA results in a directly
proportional change in the amplitude of the x-
ray emission spectrum at all energies.
2. KVP
- when kVP is increased, the relative distribution
of emitted x-rays shifts to the right to higher
energies
3. Added Filtration
- increase in the effective energy of the x-ray beam (higher
quality) with an accompanying reduction in x-ray
quantity

4. Target Material
- as the atomic number of the target material increases, the
efficiency of the Bremsstrahlung radiation increases and
the high energy x-rays increase in number more than the
low-energy
x-rays
Part III
 X-RAY QUANTITY
• Number of x-rays in the useful beam, which
is the beam forming the radiographic image
• INTENSITY of radiation, measured in mR.
 X-RAY QUANTITY
FACTORS AFFECTING X-RAY
QUANTITY

1. mAs
2. kVp
3. SID
4. filtration
 X-RAY QUALITY
• PENETRABILITY or PENETRATING
POWER of an x-ray beam
 X-RAY QUALITY
• FACTORS AFFECTING X-RAY
QUALITY

1. Kilovoltage
2. Filtration
Types of Filtration
1. Inherent Filtration - built into the glass or
metal envelope
2. Added Filtration - in the form of
aluminum sheets
3. Compensating Filters - provided
variation in beam quality, depending on
thickness
Part IV
Types of X-ray Interaction with
Matter
1. Classical Scattering
2. Comptom Effect
3. Photoelectric Effect
4. Pair Production
5. Photodisintegration
 CLASSICAL SCATTERING
• COHERENT or THOMPSON
SCATTERING
• interaction between low energy x-rays and
atoms
• x-ray loses NO energy but changes
direction slightly
 COMPTON EFFECT
• in moderate energy x-rays and outer-
shell electrons
• source of most of the OCCUPATIONAL
radiation
• ionization of the target atom change in the
photon direction -> reduction in photon
energy
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
• photon absorption interaction causes
electron removal from the atom
(photoelectron)
• Characteristic x-rays are produced
• also a secondary radiation and behave as
scatter radiation
 PAIR PRODUCTION
• Occurs with x-rays that have energies
greater than 1.02 meV.
• The photon interacts with nuclear force
field, and 2 electrons that have opposite
electrostatic charges are created.
 PHOTODISINTEGRATION
• interaction between high energy photons
and nucleus.
• photon is absorbed by the nucleus ->nuclear
fragment is emitted.
•At low energies, the majority of
x-ray interactions are
photoelectric,
whereas at high energies
Compton scattering
predominates