Notebook #15 Revisions

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Notebook #15
1) Warm up x-ray machine by turning on control panel and generator,
and by
holding down rotor.
2) As you hold down exposure button, a current travels from the
control panel to the
tube.
3) The current in the main breaker goes to incoming line voltage, which
changes
voltage to 220V, and then goes to the autotransformer.
4) The voltage from the autotransformer goes to the timing circuit and
selector,
which then goes to the step-up transformer.
5) The voltage reaches the primary coil of the step-up transformer, and
then goes to
the 4-diode rectifier.
6) The voltage changes from alternating current to direct current.
7) The filament circuit has a resistor that changes the incoming line
voltage and
allows for thermionic emission. Filament circuit
comes off of
autotransformer.
8) The voltage then goes to the secondary coil of the step-down
transformer where
the current will be adjusted for the filament
wires in the x-ray tube. There
are 2 filament wires. Small
filaments have better spatial resolution (detail),
and large
filament is best for larger patients. Current is increased due to
Ohms Law. Ohms Law is the current that is along a conductor is
proportional to the potential difference. Potential difference is
the force of
electron flow, also known as electromotive force.
When current flows along
the circuit, potential difference is
reduced.
9) Electrons go to the cathode because electrons travel from
abundance to deficit. Electrons then go to the focusing cup and
shoots electrons to the anode.
Focusing cup is a negatively
charged metal cup that the filaments are embedded into. It forces
electrons to move closer together due to thermionic emission .
10) When the electrons hit the target, the heel of the anode, the anode
heel effect occurs.

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11) Photons on the heel side travel through more target material,
which results in a
higher chance a photon will be absorbed by the
target.
*This results in less intensity on the anode side
* The magnitude of influence of the heel effect depends on
anode angle, size
of film, and focus to film distance.
12) X-ray photons are produced from Bremsstrahlung and
Characteristic
interactions.
13) Bremsstrahlung interactions cause ionizing radiation, which is 85100% of the
x-ray beam.
*Photon energy is dependent on how close electron comes
to the
nucleus, or when the electron slows down
*Occur within 0.25 to 0.5 mm depth of target surface
* Cause ionizing radiation
* Incident electron interacts with electrostatic force field of
the
nucleus
* Theres a mutual attraction, which slows down the
electron
* The strong nuclear force keeps them apart and deflects
incident
electron
*Brems energy is the difference between the entering and
exiting
kinetic energy of incident electrons
*Selected kVp will determine maximum keV possible for
any photon
14) Characteristic interactions cause ionizing radiation which is 10-12%
of x-ray
production.
*Occur within 0.25 to 0.5 mm depth of target surface
* Cause ionizing radiation
*Incident electron interacts with K-shell electron in a
different
direction
* Kinetic energy must overcome binding energy
* Occurs in techniques of 70kVp or higher
* Projectile electrons interact with inner shell electron of
tungsten/target atom
*Lesser energy photons are produced, and can drop from M
to K shell
15) Filtration types:
- Inherent filtration is the result from the composition of the tube
and
housing (glass envelope of the tube
- Added filtration occurs outside the tube and housing and before
going to
the IR (collimator)
16) Photons are then transferred to the body to create an x-ray of a
body party.

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