INTENSIFYING SCREENS
INTENSIFYING SCREEN
INTENSIFYING SCREEN is a device that
converts X-rays to visible light. It converts a
higher energy electromagnetic radiation to a lower
energy electromagnetic radiation.
In general, films that are exposed using screens
has an image that is produced 95% by light and
5% by X-rays.
INTENSIFYING SCREEN
ADVANTAGES OF USING SCREENS
reduces the dose required for a particular examination.
short exposure time
less movement unsharpness
DISADVANTAGE OF USING SCREEN
introduces the screen unsharpness
INTENSIFYING SCREEN
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
BASE
This acts as a support for all other layers of intensifying
screen.
Made of polyester.
250 microns () thick for cassettes and 175 for
screens used for automatic film changers.
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
REFLECTIVE OR ABSORPTIVE LAYER
modern technology has already incorporated the reflective or
absorptive layer in the upper part of the base.
Reflective layer intercepts light going away from the film and
redirects it towards the film.
Increases speed but increases also the amount of unsharpness.
Made from thin (30 ) coating of titanium dioxide (TiO2) or similar
compound.
Absorptive layer absorbed the light travelling away from the film.
This layer is made of dye incorporated on the base material.
This slows down the speed of the system, but has the advantage of
improving the sharpness of the image.
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
SUBSTRATUM
Attach the phosphor layer to the base.
This should be as thin as possible but should provide
adequate adhesion.
PHOSPHOR LAYER
This is a dispersion of the phosphor crystals within a
suitable binder.
It is approximately 150 .
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
Binder material that is commonly used by manufacturer is
the acetate acrylate as this has all the necessary
characteristic:
Flexible
Inert to phosphor crystal and the light they emit
Provide even, known dispersion of the phosphor in the binder
Allows the phosphor layer to be coated onto the base at the required
thickness.
Phosphor crystal is a metallic crystalline solid, naturally
occurring or artificially made, that exhibits the property of
fluorescence when exposed to X-rays and can be
manufactured in useful form to produce high image quality.
Calcium tungstate (CaWO4)
Rare earths
CONSTRUCTION OF
SCREENS
SUPERCOAT
This is the top protective layer of the screen.
It is approximately 8 thick.
It is made of cellulose acetobiturate, or other polymer.
It serves three functions:
protects the delicate phosphor layer from mechanical damage,
provides a surface which can be cleaned without damaging the
phosphor layer, and
provides a smooth evacuation of entrapped air resulting in a good
film-screen contact.
It must be a poor conductor of static electricity.
The surface of protective coating can be made with
varying “roughness”.
INTENSIFYING ACTIONS OF
SCREENS
CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF
PHOSPHOR
The efficiency with which the phosphor converts X-
rays to light.
Efficiency = absorption x conversion x emission
INTENSIFYING ACTIONS OF
SCREENS
SCREEN EFFICIENCY
The ability of the intensifying screen to absorb X-rays, to converts it to
light, and to allow the light to escape from the screen and expose the film.
Exposure required to produce ND 1.0: No screens
IF = ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exposure required to produce ND 1.0: With
screens
INTENSIFICATION FACTOR
It is the ratio of the x-ray exposure needed to produce
the same density on a film with and without the screen.
SCREEN SPEED AND DETAIL
The relationship between screen speed and detail
is a reciprocal one: as the speed of the screen
increases, the amount of detail decreases.
FACTORS AFFECTING SPEED
Phosphor type
Phosphor grain size
Thickness of phosphor layer
Coating weight
Presence of reflective/absorptive layer
Dye tint in binder
Exposure technique
SCREEN DETAIL
SCREEN UNSHARPNESS
Due to divergent emission of light coming from
intensifying screen.
CROSSOVER EFFECT
It is a result of the widening light beam emitted by the
crystal as it passes from one emulsion to the other,
causing a shadowy, less sharp image in the emulsion
layer furthest from the intensifying screen.
SCREEN DETAIL
STRUCTURE MOTTLE
It is caused by the fact that it is not possible to evenly
dispersed the phosphor crystal throughout the binder
medium.
SCREEN-FILM CONTACT
Poor film-screen contact , causes the light emitted by
the intensifying screen to diffuse before it reaches the
film, so that the image produce is unsharp.
TYPES OF PHOSPHORS
CALCIUM TUNGSTATE (CaWO4)
It is a naturally occurring phosphor and produces a
continuous spectrum principally in the blue part of
visible spectrum, with a peak output at approximately
425 nm.
Discovered by Thomas Edison.
TYPES OF PHOSPHORS
Spectral sensitivity of blue sensitive film and spectral emission of CaWO 4
TYPES OF PHOSPHORS
RARE EARTHS
Are soft, malleable metals that can be made to emit
light upon stimulation by X-rays.
First introduced in 1970’s by Wickersheim, Alves, and
Buchanan.
RARE EARTH SCREENS:
principal phosphors, symbols, emission
PHOSPHOR NAME FORMULA.ACTIVATOR PRINCIPAL EMISSION
Lanthanum oxybromide LaOBr.Tb Blue
Gadolinium oxysulfide Gd2O2S.Tb Green
Barium fluorochloride BaFCl.Eu Ultraviolet
TYPES OF PHOSPHORS
Spectral sensitivity of green sensitive film and spectral emission of Gd 2O2S.Tb
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