CONTROL OF SCATTER

RADIATION
BEAM RESTRICTING DEVICES
 BEAM RESTRICTION

• Is the most effective method for reducing the amount

of scatter radiation.
• The larger the field size for the primary xray beam,
the greater the amount of the scatter radiation
produced.
 TYPES OF BEAM RESTRICTION

• Aperture diaphragms
• Cones
• Collimators
• PBLD
 APERTURE DIAPHRAGM

• Simple flat sheets of lead or lead-lined material with

hole in the middle.
• Aperture openings may vary in size and shape such
as circular, square and rectangular.
• Aperture diaphragms would be rated as poor beam
restrictors; however, they are very effective when
compared with exposures made with no restriction of
the beam.
 APERTURE DIAPHRAGM
advantages disadvantages

• The holes may vary in size • The opening is not

and shape according to adjustable, only one field
prescribed use. size can be obtained at
• Are easy to construct and any given SID
simple to use. • Is the increase in the
penumbra or unsharpness
caused by the
undercutting of the
photons on the edge of
the beam
 APERTURE DIAPHRAGM

Undercutting occurs when xrays that originates from different

points on the target undercut or pass by the aperture
diaphragm
APERTURE DIAPHRAGM
 CONES OR CYLINDER

• Are heavy metal devices that are attached to the housing of the
xray tube for the purpose of restricting the beam.
• Flared cones are shaped to resemble the divergence of the
primary beam.
• Flared cone is no more effective than aperture diaphragm.
• Cylinder cone is much effective.
 CONES OR CYLINDER
Advantages Disadvantages
• Can be very effective for • Cylinder cone is has fixed
specific examinations such as sized of the field.
mammography or special views
of the temporal bones of the
skull or joint radiography of the
extremities.
 CONES AND CYLINDER
They vary from 8-12inches in length
 COLLIMATORS
•Is a box-like structure attached to the port of
the xray tube for the purpose of restricting the
xray beam.
•Inside the collimator are matching pairs of lead
shutters resembling leaded plates.
• Lower shutters are movable to allow for varying
field sizes
• Upper pair of shutters is located nearest the focal
spot and is known as the port or entrance shutters.
 COLLIMATORS

• Lower shutters open and close, adjusting the border of the beam.
• Most collimators have an external calibrated scale that can be
used to select the exact size of the beam various SIDs
• Collimators have a light housed inside the structure that is
used for centering the beam.
• The shutters can be adjusted to change the field size of the
beam by using the light guide the shutter placement.
• The placement of the bulb and mirror is very imortant.
 COLLIMATORS

• The advantages of the collimator make I the best of all devices

used to restrict the xray beam.
• The collimator permits rectangular field sizes , w/c are more
effective because most recording devices are rectangular in
shape.
• The ability to produce rectangular or square shaes provides
greater and more effective beam restriction.
 AUTOMATIC COLLIMATORS

• Also known as positive beam limiting device (PBLD) works

very much the same as a regular collimator.
• Electronic sensing devices are attached to the cassette tray.
 BEAM ALIGNMENT TEST FOR
COLLIMATORS
• Is performed to ensure that the light beam duplicates the
borders of the primary beam.
• To determine if the light beam, as marked by the metal objects
is identical to the primary beam.
 EXPOSURE FACTORS AND FILM
QUALITY-BEAM RESTRICTION
• As the field size decreases: scatter radiation will decrease , density
will decrease, and contrast will increase ( shorter scale ).

• Calculation of the field size:

width or diameter distance from
of field focal spotxto aperture
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Aperture
Source to Image receptor distance
opening
 CALCULATING FIELD SIZE

• Calculate the aperture opening for a field size of 10”, SID of

40”, and a 3” distance fro the focal spot to aperture opening.

10 x 3 30 3
_________ __ __
x = =
40
=
4
40