intensifying screen (x-ray)
DESCRIPTION
I.sTRANSCRIPT
Intensifying ScreensRT 104
Cassettes
Cassettes serve 3 important functions:1. Protect film from exposure to light2. Protect film from bending and
scratching during use.3. Contain intensifying screens, keeps
film in close contact to screen during exposure.
CASSETTE or FILM HOLDER
The CASSETTE is used to hold the film during examinations. It consist of front and back intensifying screens, and has a lead (Pb) backing. The cassette is light tight
Cassette Features - Front
Exposure side of cassette is the “front”.
Made of radiolucent material – easily penetrated by x-rays, lightweight metal alloy or plastic material made of resin.
Intensifying screen mounted to inside of front.
Cassette Features Back
Back made of metal or plastic Inside back is a layer of lead foil –
prevents backscatter that could fog the film
Inside foil layer is a layer of padding – maintains good film/screen contact
Back intensifying screen mounted on padding
Has the ID blocker (patient identification)
Image creation
1% of xray photons that leave patient Interact with phosphors of intensifying
screens 100’s of light photons created to make
image on film Light photons expose silver halide
crystals in the film emulsion Turn black metallic silver after
procession
Intensifying Screens
Flat surface coated with fluorescent crystals called phosphors
that glow, giving off light when exposed to x-rays.
Intensifying Screens Phosphors
RARE EARTH – (emits green light) Developed in 1980’s Most efficient – most common in use
today
CALCIUM TUNGSTATE (blue light) Not as efficient
Rare Earth Screens
Gadolinium Lanthanum Yttrium Found in low
abundance in nature
Cardboard Cassettes
Direct x-ray exposure to film required 25 to 400 times more radiation to create
an image on the film
BETTER DETAIL THAN FILM SCREEN (NO BLURRING OF IMAGE FROM LIGHT)
ALL EXPOSURE MADE FROM X-RAY PHOTONS
BIG DOSE TO THE PATEINT
INTENSIFYING SCREENS
DISADVANTAGES: less detail than direct exposure (detail better with rare earth than calcuim tungstate screens)ADVANTAGES:
1.Reduce patient exposure2. Increase x-ray tube life
Screen Construction
Polyester plastic base – support layer Phosphor layer – active layer Reflective layer – increases screen
efficiency by redirecting light headed in other directions
Protective coating
Intensifying screens
Phosphor Layer
Active layer – x-ray photons converted to light photons
*Photoelectric Effect
Screen Speed
A relative number that describes how efficiently x-rays are converted into usable light
Ranges from 100 (slow) to 1200 (fast)
Screen Speed
Greater efficiency = less exposure = faster
-Standard screen speed class of 100
-200 screen speed is twice as fast Speeds for routine work: 200 – 800 Speeds for high detail: 50 – 100 Increasing speed also increases image
noise
SCREEN SPEEDS
FASTER SPEED – REDUCES PATIENT EXPOSURE
FASTER SPEED - REDUCES IMAGE DETAIL INCREASES NOISE (LIGHT BLURING AROUND IMAGE)
Technique Changes
Relative Speed = Film speed & Screen speed
mAs 1 = RS 2 mAs 2 RS 1
They are inversely related
Image Noise
Speckled background on the image Caused when fast screens and high
kVp techniques are used. Noise reduces image contrast
The percentage of x-rays absorbed by the screen is the detective quantum efficiency (DQE)
The amount of light emitted for each x-ray absorbed is the conversion efficiency (CE)
SCREEN SPEEDS
Quantum Mottle causing a grainy, mottled or splotch image
Often results of using very fast-speed screen-film systems
The light photons generated in the intensifying screen are emitted by phosphor crystals.
These crystals are significantly larger than the silver halide crystals in the film
use of a screen reduces image sharpness somewhat
Some examinations requiring extremely fine detail use screens with small crystals.
Image Quality
Rare Earth Screens
Have higher DQE (detective quantum efficiency). Higher x-ray absorption abilities.
Have higher CE (conversion efficiency). More light emitted per x-ray absorbed by the screen.
Spatial resolution
The use of intensifying screens lowers spatial resolution compared with direct-exposure radiographs.
Spatial resolutionexpressed by thenumber of line pairsper millimeter (lp/mm)
The higher the lp/mm the smaller the object that can be imaged
Very fast screens = 7 lp/mm
Fine-detail screens= 15 lp/mm
Direct-exposure screens = 50 lp/mm
Screen speed vs Spatial resolution
Wire mesh test – check for screen-film contact. Good contact
Wire mesh test – check for screen-film contact.
Warped cassette –poor contact
Care of Screens
Image artifacts can appear if screens are modified
Small scratches can leave artifacts Dirty screens can leave artifacts Screens should be cleaned once each
month with manufacturer’s cleaner with antistatic compounds
Questions?