Ch(16, P1): Physics of Diagnostic X-Rays

By
Amel AL-Ibadi

4/17/2022 Medical physics 1

The plan for lecture:

1. How discovered of X-ray ?

2. What is X-ray?
3. Properties of X-ray.
4. X-ray machine components.
5. Types of X-ray.
6. How X-ray radiographs are produced?

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 How Discovered of X-Rays ?

➢ X- ray discovered in 1895 by German physicist named Wilhelm Roentgen.

➢ He was experimenting with electron beams in a glass discharge tube.

➢ Fluorescent screen in lab glowed when electric was turned on.

➢ Tube was surrounded by heavy black cardboard which should have blocked radiation.

➢ Tried putting various objects between tube and screen.

➢ Put hand in front of tube, saw silhouette of bones.

➢ Called X rays because it was an unknown type of radiation.

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 What is X-Rays ?

➢ X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation similar to visible light, but with short wavelength.
➢ Short wavelength (0.001 to 10 nm), more Frequencies > 3× 1016 Hz, and quantum energies > 124 eV.

❖Note :
• The higher energy of X-ray photons has higher penetration power through materials.

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 Properties of X-rays

• Travel at speed of light-electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum.

• Travel in straight line.
• Highly penetrating power.
• Invisible rays.
• Produce scatter.
• Ionization of a atom material results when an X-ray beam is passed through it.
• And X-ray interact with matter produce photoelectric and Compton effect.

❖ Note:
These properties make X-ray very useful for medical diagnosis and treatment.

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 X-ray machine components

➢The X-ray tube where the X-rays are generated.

➢The control panel which regulate the strength and amount of X-rays produced by
selection of kilo voltage (KV) and current (mA).

➢The power supply to provide the X-ray tube with the power needed to creates the
X-ray beam.

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 X-Ray Tube

➢ X-ray tube is consists of

1. a pair electrodes are:
a. A negatively charged cathode with include a heater filaments : Tungsten filament, Focusing cup
&Connecting wires.
b. Appositively charged anode with a tungsten target tube.
2. Also consists of outer evacuated glass to high vacuum.
❖ why is it evacuated ?
• to prevent the collision of moving electrons with the air molecules.
• to prevent the oxidation and burnout of the filaments.
• To control the number and speed of the accelerated electrons independently.

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 X-ray Production

• Filament is heated and gives off cloud of electrons.

• A large electrical charge (1 Kv to 1Mv) is applied across the cathode/ anode space (1 cm) causing the
electrons released from the cathode to accelerated toward the anode.
• When they crush into the anode it causes X-ray with higher energy and greater tissue penetrating power.
• Increasing electric current increase the number of electrons cloud around the filament. Result in higher
number of X-ray produced per second.
• Less than 1% of the energy supplied is converted into X-ray during this process. The rest (%99) is converted
into internal energy (heat) of the target.
• The heat is increased directly with increasing X-ray tube current, also the applied voltage.
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 Types of X-ray
There are two different emit of X-ray photons produced :
1. Bremsstrahlung X-ray:
When a high speed electrons interact with the nucleus of the target
atom. The electron passes near the nucleus, it will deviate from its original
path due to the coulomb forces of gravity and loss its energy in the form
Bremsstrahlung X- ray.
The Bremsstrahlung X- ray emission depends on the shot of the
falling electrons. At energies less than 100 Kev, the direction of the X- ray
emission will be approximately equal in all direction. At increasing the
kinetic energies of the electrons, the direction of the X-ray will be
forward.
➢ The energy loss of each atom by electrons depends on the square of the
atomic number 𝑧 2 , so the producing Bremsstrahlung X- ray varies
according to the 𝑧 2 of the target material.
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 Types of X-ray
2. Characteristic X-ray:
This type is produced:
• When a high speed electron from filament collides with an
electron in one of the orbits of the target atom.
• The electron is ejected out of its orbit, creating a space.
• The space is immediately filled by an electron from an outer
orbit.
• So, energy is released in the form of a characteristic X-ray.

❑ Note :
• The energy of the Characteristic X-ray will equal the difference between the
binding energies of the electrons involved.

• The binding energies are dependent on the number of protons in the nucleus
(the atomic number).

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❑ The energy of photon
If the entire electron energy is converted to that of the X-ray photon, the energy of the X-ray
photon is related to the excitation potential V by the relation:
E= h 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥
= h c / ℷ𝑚𝑖𝑛 = e V
Where e is the electron charge = 1.6 × 10− 19 C, f is the frequency, h is the plank’s constant, c is
speed of light.
Thus, X-ray wavelength 𝜆;
ℷ𝑚𝑖𝑛 (nm) = h c / e V
Inserting the values of the constants h, c, and e, we have;
ℷ𝑚𝑖𝑛 (nm) = 1.243 / V (kv)
ℷ𝑚𝑖𝑛 (nm) is named here the cutoff wavelength.

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 How X-ray radiographs (image) are produced ?

1. X-rays are produced by machine. (X-ray is produced

by X-ray tube and is projected towards the object).
2. X-rays interact with the patient. (A certain amount of
X-ray is absorbed by the object, which is dependent on
the density and compositions of the object).
3. Image is recorded in the X-ray plate. (X-rays that pass
through the object are recorded in the X-ray plate to
view the internal structure of the human body.

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 How X-ray Interact with Patients ?
• Three things occurred :
1. Some X-ray absorbed by the patient.
2. Some pass straight through the patient
without any interaction.
3. Some scattered.

Depend on three things:

1. X-ray energy, in high Kv most of X-ray pass
to the film through the patient.
2. Atomic number of the absorber.
3. Thickness and density of the object.

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 Thank you

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