Film Screen Reviewer

X-ray film
 Contain Radiographic Image after exposure to x-ray and process
 Sensitive after exposure because latent image is there
 Consist of Photographically active/Radiation sensitive emulsion usually
coated on both sides or transparent sheet or plastic
 Image recorded on film is caused by exposure to photons and light
Artifacts – unwanted image
Emulsion – silver halide crystals, gelatin
Film exposed to rad – Direct: exposure film
Film exposure to light – screen filmed

X-ray Film Composition

 Consist of emulsion finely precipitated, Silver Bromide Crystals (active
ingredients) suspended in gelatin that is coated in both side of a
transparent blue tinted polyester support called Base.
Transparent Base
 Foundation or support that allows the film to maintain shape and prevents
unnecessary bending (dimensional stability)
 Flexible and unbreakable to allow easy handling
 Uniform lucency, nearly transparent to light
 Blue tint dye is added to improve contrast (visibility of image) to reduce eye
glare
Film base Characteristics
 Should not absorb light or produce visible pattern during viewing
 Flexible, thickness and strength will be such to allow easy processing
Dimensional Stability
 Shape and size will not be changed during processing and storage
 Low flammability
 Cellulose nitrate – causes fire in London Hospital 1920s
Types of Bases
 Glass plate – used in past, thin layer of emulsion on one side
 Cellulose nitrate – 1914, causes accident inflammable
 Cellulose triacetate – 1924, non-flammable
 Polyester – 1969, better dimensional stability (colorless)
 Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol – are brought together
under low pressure and high temperature. To form molten polymer
stretched into sheets. e.g., cronex
Tinted blue Film
 Triacetate and polyester – film that is clear and colorless
 1933 – blue tint is added to the x-ray to produce a film that was easier to
look at.
 Causes less eye strain
 Blue tint can be added either to the base or to the emulsion
 All present x-ray film is blue tinted
Layers of X-ray Film (SE AB)
 Super coat, top coat, overcoat
 Emulsion
 Adhesive
 Base
Over Coat Layer of film - protects the emulsion from scratches, pressure and
contamination
Adhesive layer (Substratum)
 Thin adhesive is applied to base material before it is coated with the
emulsion
 Glue emulsion to base prevents bubbles or distortion when the film is bent
during processing or handling or when it is wet and heated
Emulsion layer
 Active layer, 3 to 5um according to Bushong
 5-to-10-micron Carl ton
 Not more than 0.5 mils (5-25um)
 Contains fine crystals of silver halide
 Crystals are evenly dispersed into a gelatin
Gelatin – acts as a suspension agent and prevents crystal from adhering to one
another
Emulsion Gelatin – produced by cattle bones, later synthesized
Advantages
 Keep silver halide grains
 Well dispersed
 Prevent clumping of grains
 Developing solutions can penetrate gelatin rapidly without the structure
and strength
 Easily available in large and uniform quality
 Clear, for easily transmission of light
 Sufficiently porous for the processing chemicals to penetrate the crystals of
silver halide
Hydroquinone – black tones
Phenidone – gray tones
Silver Halide Crystals
 98% Silver bromide crystal
 2% Silver Iodine
 Silver (Ag) Z#47
 Bromine (Br) Z#35
 Iodine (I) Z#53
Silver Bromide – made by dissolving metallic silver (Ag) in nitric acid (HNO3) to
form silver nitrate (AgNO3) silver nitrate combines with potassium bromide. To
form a silver bromide precipitate. This precipitate is mixed with gelatin binder to
form emulsion
Sensitive Speck – type of imperfection thought to be responsible is a chemical
contaminant, usually silver sulfide Ags that either intrudes into the crystal lattice
or more frequently resides on its surface
Silver Sulfide
 Usually located at the surface of the crystals
 This contaminant has been given the name sensitivity speck
 Sensitivity specks trap electrons
Film Characteristics
 Resolution
 Speed
 Contrast
 Latitude
Resolution
 Ability to accurately image an object
 Details, sharpness and definition and resolving power
 Measure by the ability to see pairs of lines
 The unit of resolution is line pairs per millimeter expressed as lp/mm
 Determine by the size of silver halide crystals(graininess)
 Radiographic film screen system resolution is generally controlled by the
size of the intensifying screen crystals not the size of the silver halide
crystals I the film emulsion
Speed
 the amount of density (degree of blackening) a film produces for given
amount of exposure is the film speed
 it is determined by the film sensitivity to exposure
 speed is controlled the phenidone – speed indicator
Film sensitivity is determined
1. Film speed is primarily determined by the size of the silver halide crystals
2. The number of sensitivity specks
3. The thickness of the emulsion layer
Film resolution – size of silver halide crystals
Film screen system – intensifying screen crystals/phosphor crystals – low
technical factor is needed for the intensifying screen for it to not react
Light photon
 Interacts with emulsion to produce latent image
 The larger the size of silver halide crystals the higher the speed
 The thicker the emulsion the faster the speed
 Higher speed Higher density