PROCESSING

ROOM DESIGN
 OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify the purpose of a darkroom.
2. Discuss the components of a
darkroom and other accessories.
3. Describe basic darkroom
requirements.
4. Discuss darkroom illumination.
5. Discuss the safelight system.
6. Discuss consequences of not
following standard darkroom
requirements.
Darkroom
Darkroom

 Everything should be keep clean

 Room should only be used as the
darkroom
 Need plenty space
 Clean, dry, free of chemical fumes
 Proper ventilation, humidity,
temperature.

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The processing room

During the past twenty years

we have seen a thorough change
in the concept of processing a
radiographic film.
The processing of radiographic
film by hand (manual processing)
has almost been eliminated in
favor of mechanized or automatic
processor.
The processing room

Processing the latent image

takes place in a darkroom, a room
designed to be functional and
convenient.
The darkroom is designed for
handling and storage of x-ray film.
LATENT IMAGE

 Prior to the development, a

latent image exists in the
emulsion, which is invisible
representation of the
radiograph structures.
BASIC COMPONENTS OF DARKROOM

STORAGE SHELVES

WORKBENCH
BASIC COMPONENTS:
PROCESSOR
 BASIC COMPONENTS
The Tanks
 Developer
Fixer
Rinse

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BASIC COMPONENTS:
FILM DUPLICATOR
BASIC COMPONENTS:
SILVER RECOVERY SYSTEM
BASIC COMPONENTS
FILM BIN
FILM BIN
CONTAINS INDIVIDUAL
SLOTS THAT HOLD FILMS OF
DIFFERENT SIZES
TYPICAL DARKROOM FILM BIN

OTHER FILMS

8 x 10

10 x 12

11 x 14

14 x 17

FRONT
The Darkroom must:
Be of suitable size. Have a flat-smooth
Must not allow white surfaced workbench of
light to enter. adequate size and
location.
Have a suitable secure
entrance. Have adequate storage
space.
Have appropriate safe
lighting & whitelight Have a safe and reliable
electrical supply.
Have adequate
drainage. Maintain appropriare
temperature & humidity
Have a hot and cold
running water supply. Be radiation proof.
Have a convenient Be fitted out with film
layout. processing and
accessory equipment.
 Passbox
The passbox allows
cassettes to be passed to
the darkroom without
opening the door and
exposing the room to
light.
There is an interlocking
system in which the
doors on one side cannot
be opened until the doors
on the opposite side are
closed.
 Entrance and ventilation
 Entrances for the darkroom must be
specially designed to prevent accidental
opening of the door.

 Darkrooms require ventilation to

prevent buildup of fumes from
chemicals used in the processor
system.
 Entrance and ventilation
 Besides maintaining humidity, which is
necessary to control the development of
static electricity, safety standards
require that fumes that develop from
either manual or processing be vented
from the room.
 In addition to humidity, the
temperature must be controlled, both
for physical comfort and for film storage
and handling.
 Darkroom requirements
 Depending on the equipment &
Technology available:
darkroom area to consider (1.5m
x 2.0m minimum)
Light proofing
Location of wet and dry area
Adequate supply of fresh water
• Water supply system- sink,
faucets, drainage system.
DARKROOM illumination

 WHITE LIGHTS
 SAFELIGHTS
WHITE LIGHT IS USED FOR:

EQUIPMENT REPAIR AND

DARKROOM CLEANING
SAFELIGHTS USED

DURING FILM
PROCESSING
 Darkroom Decoration

 It is neither necessary from the

technical standpoint, nor desirable
from the physiological one, that the
processing room be drab and all-
black; such a decor should be
avoided.
 The darkroom can be painted almost
any pastel or semi-gloss color.
 Safelight system
 The special illumination system used
in the darkroom is called a “safelight”
system.
 The term implies that a system
should be “safe” for x-ray film to be
removed from the storage bin, loaded
in a cassette, and later removed for
placement in the processor system
without white fog becoming a
problem.
 Safelight system
 Calling the lights as safelight means
that the illumination will not affect
the very sensitive emulsion of the x-
ray film during normal handling of
the film in the darkroom.

 Safelight is either a 7.5 watt or 15-

watt an incandescent bulb
 Safelight system
 Safelights use a filtering device to
achieve the desired result of
producing illumination in a particular
energy range of the electromagnetic
spectrum.

 This is made of special colored filter,

made of glass with an emulsion
backing
SAFELIGHT BULBS
INCANDESCENT RECESSED WITHIN
METALLIC LIGHT FIXTURE

Illumination allowing people to see to

develop film but will not cause film fog
 Blue-sensitive film amber filter
 Wratten 6B
 Green/Blue-sensitive film  red filter
 Kodak GBX-2 or GS-1
Darkroom illumination

 With this safety lamp, it is possible

to see clearly in the processing room
and not expose radiographic film.
 When fitted with a 7 1/2 to 15-watt
bulb, exposed film can be left
exposed to safelight illumination
without fogging for one minute at 3
feet from the safelight or for half a
minute at 2 feet
 The Kodak GBX-2 all purpose filter is more
versatile and provides illumination in the
darker red range. The versatility of the GBX
allows for the use of green and/or blue-
sensitive x-ray film.
 Safelights of any type must be installed
according to the manufacturer’s guidelines
and tested on a regular basis.
Safelights

A darkroom should be fitted with

appropriate safe-lighting. There are
several forms of safe-lighting available:
1. Conventional safelight- small light
tight box with a light filter window,
fitted with bulb and socket.
2. Simple light bulb with filter
coating.
3. Colored fluorescent light tube.
AT LEAST 3 FEET FROM THE
FILM TRAY

7.5 W

FILM TRAY
AT LEAST 4 FEET FROM THE
FILM TRAY

15 W

FILM TRAY
POST EXPOSURE FOG

 Fogging of the film by safelight

illumination after it has been
radiographically exposed.
 It appears as undesirable
supplemental blanket of
density on the processed
image.
LATENSIFICATION

 Increased sensitivity to
safelight illumination.
 Darkroom Location

 Radiographic darkroom should be

located in areas away from radiation.

 The darkroom itself should be tested

to assure that radiation exposure is
not a problem. It must be radiation-
proof.
 Darkroom Location

 The darkroom should be located next

to the radiographic rooms, a layer of
lead shielding must be added to the
walls dividing the rooms.
 The passbox must also be radiation-
proof to prevent radiation exposure
to x-ray film as cassettes are passed
in and out of the darkroom.
A simple X-ray Room layout

Warning light
Toilet Dressing
booth

X-ray table
Dark
Room
Pass box

ACB Radiographic
Control
Room
LEAD SHIELDING IF ADJACENT
TO X-RAY ROOM

 1/16 INCH OF LEAD IN THE WALLS

ALL THE WAY TO THE CEILING.
IF ADJACENT TO X-RAY ROOMS

PASS-BOXES
NEEDED TO
PASS FILMS
DIRECTLY
FROM THE X-
RAY ROOM
TO
DARKROOM
VENTILATION

 SYSTEM MUST BE
LIGHTPROOF AND ABLE TO
FILTER OUT DUST
HUMIDITY

 40-60% according to
Bushong
 30-50% according to
Fauber
 > 60%--FILM FOG
 <40% or 30% STATIC ARTIFACTS
TEMPERATURE

 50-70 º F FOR FILM STORAGE– TO

SLOW DOWN THE AGING PROCESS
OF THE FILM

 Should be stored at temp. lower than

approximately 20 º C or 68 ºF
according to Bushong
WOULD YOU STORE IT LIKE
THIS???
STORE YOUR FILMS STANDING
ON THE EDGE TO AVOID
PRESSURE MARKS. USE FILM
STORAGE CARTS OR SHELVES
TYPES OF DARKROOM
ENTRANCES: SINGLE DOOR
DARKROOM ENTRANCE:
DOUBLE DOOR
DARKROOM ENTRANCE:
MAZE
COLOR OF THE MAZE

DARK-- NOT TO REFLECT

WITH LIGHT INTO THE
DARKROOM
DARKROOM ENTRANCE:
SLIDING CURVED REVOLVING
DOOR
 Glides two 360 degrees track, one
attached to the ceiling and one to
the floor.
 Upon entering the doorway, the
person slides the door behind him
until he can no longer see white
light.
Other issues involving the
darkroom
 Efficient working routines.
 Adequate staff training.
 Regular maintenance check.
 Suitable fault reporting system.
 Rapid repair and replacement
response.
 Safe disposal of contaminated water.
 Safe disposal of empty chemical
containers.
 Safe disposal of unwanted film.
Responsibilities of staff using the
darkroom

 Use correct processing routines.

 Use the darkroom correctly and safely.
 Carry out correct QC routines regularly.
 Ensure that regular, thorough cleaning is
carried out.
 Report or fix all faults immediately.
 Ensure that sufficient stock is
maintained.
White light leaking into darkroom
Films should be handled in correct
safelight conditions. White light
should not be allowed to leak into the
darkroom.

WHITE LIGHT LEAKAGE TEST

Frequency of Test
* Every 6 months
*After work has been carried out
on the darkroom.
*As necessary
 VIEWBOX

 White-light passess through this

plexi-glass cover and then
through the radiograph allowing
viewer to evaluate the image.
 Can (plexi-glass) discolor with
age
 Should be checked semiannually
PHOTOMETER

 Or light meter, is used to

check the light intensity

 lux or foot-candles= light

intensity measurement
units
PHOTOMETER

5,382 lux or 500 foot-

candles= minimum
luminance of viewbox

500 and 100 foot-candles=

viewbox illumination
intensity
 HOTLIGHTS

 Special lights used by radiologists to

evaluate radiographic images that are
either grossly overexposed or to
evaluate a specific area of anatomical
image
 Constructed similar to safelight but do
not have filter and the bulb is generally
a high wattage incandescent bulb.
 OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify the purpose of a darkroom.
2. Discuss the components of a
darkroom and other accessories.
3. Describe basic darkroom
requirements.
4. Discuss darkroom illumination.
5. Discuss the safelight system.
6. Discuss consequences of not
following standard darkroom
requirements.