Christina Swanson

Notebook 9
Heat Unit

Heat Units:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Heat is generated in conventional and medical imaging during an exposure.

Conventional: measured in Joules (or BTU)
Medical imaging: measured in heat units in (HU)
X-ray tube capacity is measured in HU
a. 1 HU = 1kVp x 1 mA x 1 sec (Rectification Factor)
b.
1. Single Phase Unit
Heat units for a single phase x ray machine are determined by multiplying kVp x mA x
sec. The technique used is 120 kVp at 400mA for 0.05 sec. The heat unit produced by this
exposure is?
Heat Unit Formula is
HU= kVp x mA x s
Given : 120 kVp x 400mA. x 0.5 sec
HU= 2400 HU
2. Three Phase 6 pulse Unit
How many heat units would be produced on a three phase 6 pulse unit when using
a technique of 120kVp at 600mA for 0.005 sec?
Given: 120 kVp, 600mA, 0.005 sec,
HU= kVp x mA x s x 1.35
HU= 120 X 600 x 0.005 x 1.35
HU= 486
3. Three phase 12 pulse Unit
How many heat units would be produced on a three phase 12 pulse unit using a technique
of 120kVp at 400mA for 0.005 sec?
Given: 120kVp x 400mA x 0.005
HU= kVp x mA x s x 1.4
HU = 120 x 600 x 0.005 x 1.4
HU=504
4. High frequency Unit

HU= kVp x mA x s x1.4

Given: 1000mA, 0.002 sec, 120kVp
120 x 1000 x 0.002 x 1.4
HU= 3.36

Notebook9Citation
Carlton,R.R.,&Adler,A.M.(2013).Principlesofradiographicimaging:Anartanda
science.CliftonPark,NY:Delmar/CengageLearning.