IMAGING

EQUIPMENT
The basic components
of radiography
X-RAY TUBE

The x-ray tube is an evacuated glass bulb with positive (anode) and
negative (cathode) electrodes.
The cathode is a filament that gives off electrons when heated. As
several thousand volts of electricity are applied to the tube, these
electrons are driven across a short distance and strike the anode
with high kinetic energy.
The energy conversion that occurs is the result of the sudden
deceleration of the electrons at the anode.
X-rays then emanate from the tube in all directions and the majority of
the x-rays exit the tube housing through the open lead shutters called
a collimator.
X-RAY TUBE
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

The primary means of making a radiographic image is through the use

of a film-screen system.
The intensifying screen is a sheet of plastic embedded with crystals
called phosphors that glow with visible light when struck by
radiation.
This light from the phosphors exposes the x-ray film which is
sandwiched between intensifying screens in the lid and the base of
the cassette.
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

The intensifying screens convert x-ray energy to light energy, thus

significantly reducing the amount of radiation necessary to make a
good exposure.
Approximately 95% of the image on the film is made by light from the
intensifying screens; only 5% of the image is made directly by the x-
rays.
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

INTENSIFYING SCREEN
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

The x-ray film is a sheet of polyester plastic coated with a thin layer of
gelatin and silver compounds.
The image contained in the film can be made visible by developing the
film.
The finished radiograph then becomes a permanent record of the
examination and is considered a legal document.
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

X-Ray film
FILM SCREEN SYSTEM

Cassette - a device used in radiography for holding a sheet of x-ray film

and one or two screens. A cassette also may have a grid to absorb
scattered radiation.
FLUOROSCOPY

Fluoroscopy is an imaging technique that uses X-rays to obtain real-

time moving images of the internal structures of a patient through
the use of a fluoroscope. In its simplest form, a fluoroscope consists
of an X-ray source and fluorescent screen between which a patient is
placed.
There is no need to wait for film to be developed because the image is
immediately displayed on a television monitor.
FLUOROSCOPY

The x-ray tube is located inside the x-ray table. The radiation passes
through the tabletop and the patient and strikes the fluoroscopic
screen to produce an image of the patient body part.
A device known as an image intensifier electronically improves and
enhances the image and transmit it to the television monitor.
FLUOROSCOPY

Usually the radiologist operates the fluoroscopy unit while the

radiographer assists with the procedure.
If the radiologist wants to make a permanent record of the image, a
spot-film device which is attached to the equipment, is used.
A movie film or cut-film camera can be attached to the image
intensifier to make rapid-sequence films.
The entire procedure may be reviewed by video-taping the image
displayed on the TV monitor.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

X-ray computed tomography, also computed tomography (CT

scan), computed axial tomography or computer assisted
tomography (CAT scan) is a medical imaging procedure that uses
computer-processed X-rays to produce tomographic images or 'slices'
of specific areas of the body.
These cross-sectional images are used for diagnostic and therapeutic
purposes in various medical disciplines. Digital geometry processing is
used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object
from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a
single axis of rotation.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear magnetic resonance

imaging (NMRI), or magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is
a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize internal
structures of the body in detail.
MRI makes use of the property of nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)
to image nuclei of atoms inside the body. MRI can create more
detailed images of the human body than are possible with X-rays.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

MRI provides good contrast between the different soft tissues of the

body, which makes it especially useful in imaging the brain, muscles,
the heart, and cancers compared with other medical
imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or X-rays.
Unlike CT scans or traditional X-rays, MRI does not use ionizing
radiation.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY

Similar to nuclear medicine in that it utilizes a radiopharmaceutical

injected into the circulatory system to image the area of interest.
PET is used to evaluate the physiology or function of an organ or
system in the body.
The radiation emanates from the body and is received by radiation
detectors.
The resulting images are cross-sectional and indicate how the
radiopharmaceutical was taken up and used by the body.
POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY
SONOGRAPHY

Utilizes high-frequency sound waves, a form of nonionizing radiation,

to obtain sectional images of the body.
Originally used by the military to detect enemy submarines,
sonography is a useful diagnostic tool in certain areas of radiology.
The sound waves bounce off interior structures of the body and return
as echoes to a probe from which images can be electronically
displayed on a TV screen.
SONOGRAPHY
NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Radioactive materials introduced into the body are used to produce

images of major organs.
The radioactive material concentrates in the area of interest and emits
radiation.
This radiation is then detected by a sensing device and computed into
an image.
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
CONCLUSION

Radiographic imaging can be one of the most exciting activities in any

hospital, but keeping abreast of the continual advances in imaging
equipment is a challenge for all radiographers.
An in-depth knowledge of physics and equipment is a necessary basis
for understanding the latest technological advancements in
radiography.
Therefore, study of their operation and the uses of computers in
medicine is mandatory for anyone entering the field of radiography.