B.N.

Patel institute of paramedical and

science

Topic - Filtration and beam restrictors

By Pratap Singh (SYIMT)
CONTENT
Filters
 Inherent filtration
 Added filtration
 K-edge filters
 Wedge filters
 Molybdenum filters

X-ray beam restrictors

 Aperture diaphragm
 Cones and cylinders
 Collimators
 FILTRATION
 Filtration is the process of shaping the x-ray beam to increase the ratio of photons useful for
imaging to those photons that increase image contrast.

 Diagnostic x-ray beam composed of photons that have a whole spectrum of energy.

 So it is called as polychromatic radiation.

 High energy photons can penetrate through the patient’s body but low energy photons only
accounts for increasing the patient absorbed dose.

 So to reduce the patient dose we used different types of filters in diagnostic radiology.
INHERENT FILTRATION

 Filtration resulting from the absorption of x-ray as they pass through the x-ray tube and its
housing is called inherent filtration.

 The materials used in this are glass envelope, insulating oil and window in tube housing.

 It is measured in aluminum equivalent which represent the thickness of aluminum that would
produce the same amount of filtration as the thickness of material used.

 It usually varies between 0.5 mm to 1 mm aluminum equivalent.

ADDED FILTRATION
 Added filtration from absorbers placed in the path of x-ray beam.

 Aluminum and copper are the materials generally used.

 Aluminum (13) is excellent filter material for low energy radiation.

 Copper (29) is a better filters for high energy radiations.

 For practical purpose ,radiologists prefer to use a single filter material, usually aluminum.

 Copper is never used as single filter.it is always used in combination with aluminum as a compound filters.

 Copper faces the x-ray tube and aluminum faces the patient.
Filter thickness
 After selecting a filter material, the next step is to select the appropriate
thickness for filter.
 The percentages of x-ray attenuation with 1,2,3 and 10 mm of aluminum
for photons of various energies are shown in this table.
 WEDGE FILTERS
 Wedge filters are occasionally used in diagnostic radiology to obtain films of more uniform density
when the part being examined diminishes greatly in thickness from one side of the field to other .

 When one side of the patient is considerably thicker than the other, wedge compensates for the
difference.

 Less radiation is absorbed by the thinner part of filter, so more is available to penetrate the thicker
part of the patient.

 It is generally used in lower limb angiography when one image is required from the lower abdomen
to the ankle with a single exposure.
K-EDGE FILTERS ( HEAVY METAL
FILTERS)
 These filters make use of the k-edge absorption of elements with atomic number greater than 60.

 These are used when we image with barium or iodine.

 The maximum contrast can be obtained when the photon energy of x-ray beam is close to, but
slightly above the k-absorption edge of the absorber.

 The main purpose of heavy metal filter is to produce an x-ray beam that has a high number of
photons in the specific energy range that useful in diagnostic imaging.

 Example : Gadolinium and Holmium

MOLYBDENUM FILTERS
 It is a special application of k-edge filters.

 In this we use molybdenum filters with molybdenum target x-ray tube in mammography.

 In mammography, we use characteristic radiation of 17.5 keV and 19.6 keV.

 When operated at 30 to 40 kVp, molybdenum tube will also produce considerable bremsstrahlung
radiations with energies higher than 20 keV.

 These higher energy radiations can decrease the soft tissue contrast in image.

 To reduce the amount of higher radiations we use molybdenum filters of 0.030 mm thickness.

 This filters will attenuate x-ray just above the 20 keV k-edge of Mo very strongly.
X-RAY BEAM RESTRICTORS
 X-ray beam restrictors are the devices that attaches to the opening in the x-ray tube housing to
regulate the size and shape of the x-ray beam.

Aperture diaphragm
 It is the simplest type of beam restrictors .
 It consist of lead with a hole in the center ,size and shape of the hole determines the size and
shape of the beam.
 Lead is soft so we can easily altered to any desired size and shape.
 Advantage – its simplicity.
 Disadvantages- it produces fairly large penumbra.
 The width of the penumbra can be reduced by positioning the aperture as far away from the x-
ray target.
CONES AND CYLINDERS

 These types of restrictors are in the conical and cylindrical shape.

 Flared shape of cones is the ideal configuration for the x-ray beam .

 Base plate that attaches the device to the tube housing is the only part which restrict the x-ray beam.

 Cylinders can be used with the cones ie. Extended cones. To increase their length.

 Beam restriction with cylinders takes place at far end of the barrel so it produces less penumbra.
Disadvantage – (i) severe limitation of placing them on the number of
available field sizes.
(ii) it cannot approach the infinite numbers of field sizes.
(iii) changing them is inconvenient.
 COLLIMATORS
 It is the best an effective among the beam restrictors.

 Advantages – (i) it provides infinite variety of rectangular x-ray field sizes.

(ii) light beam shows the center and exact configuration of the field size.

 There are two sets of shutters ( S1 and S2) which controls the beam dimensions.

 They move together as a unit.

 Shutters functions as two adjustable aperture diaphragms.

 The target of the x-ray tube and light bulb should be examined the same distance from the center of
mirror.
FUNCTIONS OF RESTRICTORS

 X-ray beam restrictors have two functions

(i) To protect the patient
(ii) To decrease the scatter radiation.
 REFERENCE

 Christensen’s Physics of Diagnostic Radiology.

 Basic Radiological Physics by K. Thayalan.

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