Taking a Look at X-Rays

Furthermore, X-ray of higher energy than required for imaging is used for radiation therapy. The radiation therapy makes use of ionization radiation (and no images) for the treatment of diseases, such as

- Even though the X-ray expose patient to harmful radiation it is used to see inside the human body and diagnose broken bones, gallstones and later tuberculosis.

These images call for up to 90% less radiation than with standard film type x-rays. Instead of making use of the traditional silver-oxide x-ray film that must be formulated and then fixed in caustic and ecologically harmful solutions, the new system calls for pictures by way of a small digital sensing unit and it then immediately sends a Image of the tooth on to the video monitor in the treatment room. Therefore, we can easily see your teeth and surrounding components Instantly. Not only does the new digital x-ray do away with the typical wait for x-ray film to be prepared, but it also is highly sensitive, so that patients are exposed to even less radiation than with conventional x-rays.

X-ray use for diagnosis – Describe example of the use of an X-ray for diagnosis including IMAGE

X-rays may be invisible waves found on the electromagnetic spectrum which can almost make their known danger seem of little importance because our five senses cannot measure their activity, however x-rays must not be taken lightly. Radiologic Technologist must keep in mind the dangers and gravity of the force that they are working with on a daily basis. Patients should have the right to their own safety when undergoing a medical procedure that requires the use of x-rays. Radiologic Technologist are the ones responsible for upholding this safety. They can and must do this in variety of ways that include, making sure the patient is knowledgeable about the procedure, using correct collimation to the part under examination, and by shielding the

Radiologic technologists, or x-ray techs, are medical professionals who take radiographic pictures of bones. They are assistants to radiologists; the x-ray techs take the pictures and the radiologists examine the x-ray and diagnose what is wrong with the patient. “They are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care” (American Society of Radiologic Technologists, 2017). It is crucial that x-ray techs be exact and precise or else the pictures will be incomprehensible, thus making it nearly futile for the radiologist to interpret them.

During an experiment he placed his hand between the source of the X-ray, the cathode-ray tube and a screen and saw the faint outline of the bones of his hand. It was the first X-ray picture. The more dense bone absorbed more X-rays then the less dense flesh producing an image of his hand. He soon learned that photographic plates were sensitive to X-ray as they are to light and was thus able to make the first X-ray photography. These first "Roentgen exposures" were of various metal objects that were locked in a wooden case and of his wife's hand.

X-ray equipment safety requirements are essential and are part of improving the technical side of medical imaging with the goal of protecting the public and imaging professionals in the field. In order for x-ray equipment to be up to date and performing at a quality level, certain test, individuals, and standards are set to meet these

A focus on the equipment is most important as it relates to the human-machine interaction (we learnt about this in the HCI project in class, as well as in lab). That is to say, the need is not necessarily for more powerful x-rays but rather x-ray imaging that facilitates screeners’

Roentgen called his creation an x-ray because “x” was a variable that no one knew what it was and “ray” came from his name, calling it “Roentgen Rays”. He took the very first photo of his wife’s hand using the x-ray. His wife was very surprised when she saw her skeleton on the screen. With his great accomplishment, he was rewarded the honorary “Doctor of Medicine” degree from the University of Würzburg.

Computed Tomography imaging also known as CT or a CAT scan, combines a series of x-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross- sectional images also known as slices of the bones, blood vessels, and soft tissue inside the body. The CT scan reveals anatomic details of internal organs that cannot be seen on conventional x-rays. A motorized table moves the patient through a circular opening of the CT scanner known as the gantry which houses the x-ray tube. As the patient passes through the CT system, the x-rays rotates around the opening. A beam of x-rays exposes the patient as the table moves in and out of the scanner in a series of phases. Detectors on the opposite side of the patient record the x-rays exiting that section of the patients’ body. They then produce cross-sectional views or slices. The data is then sent to a computer to reconstruct all of the individual

According to The American Cancer Society, 43.92% of males and 38% of females have the risk of developing cancer during his/her lifetime (“Lifetime Risk,” 2013). External beam therapy is a common cancer treatment that is distributed from a machine and is focused on the cancer inside the patient (External Beam Therapy, 2014). The treatment is a lot like getting an x-ray only the treatment is more time-consuming and uses a high dosage of radiation which is measured in units called Gray (Gy) (“External Beam Therapy” n.d.). Some of the machines for external beam therapy include linear accelerators, cobalt machines, and orthovoltage X-ray machines (Hopkins, n.d.). The type of machine used on each patient will be decided by the radiation oncologist (Hopkins, n.d.). The machine will not touch the patient and as you read further you will learn it does not hurt, and the radiation cannot be seen, felt, or smelled (“Lifetime Risk”, 2013). External Beam Therapy is an effective and safe treatment plan used to treat cancer.

There are two major ways in which X-rays interact with tissue. The first is the photoelectric effect, where a photon uses all of its energy to eject an electron from an atom; that while the electron moves around and ionizes neighboring atoms, there are no scatter photons. The second major effect is the Compton scatter, where a photon hits an atom and ionizes an electron but does not use all of its energy. The photon then scatters in a different direction with slightly less energy, and the free electron does damage to the body. Scattered photons can travel back towards the X-ray tube, pass through the patient and hit the detector from any odd angle, or scatter again within the patient. Every time a photon ejects an electron (ionizes an atom), it creates free radicals that can damage DNA in the

The science behind the x-ray goes back to a chemist called Sir William Crooks. He was born June 17th 1832 in England. Crooks developed the Crooks Tube in 1870. This was an important invention for scientists to come, among them was Wilhelm Roentgen who in 1895 was credited with the discovery the x-ray. Back when the x-ray technique was new, people didn’t realize the damage radiation could cause. This changed soon when it was discovered how people were severely injured from the exposure, as they were not wearing any protective shield. In the beginning the doctors or physicists worked and operated the x-ray machines themselves, but as the demand grew, the need for actual x-ray machine operators were needed. The Crooks tube, the discovery of the

With this stability and mass production, x-rays machines became very common everywhere. From large factories, to doctors offices, all the way to the corner store of small towns, where children and adults alike could insert a coin into a machine and view the bones in their feet. (3.) Because of their relative adolescences in the world, not much was known about x-rays or their effects on the human body. The first theories about the rays’ effects on the human body were that they had beneficial applications. With this being the only theory about their effect, widespread use went on, unmonitored, and unregulated. This unregulated use led to injuries but because of their slow onset the injuries were never attributed to x-rays. While some scientists tied certain skin burns to over exposure of x-rays it wasn’t until popular minds of the world like Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and William J. Morton expressed that they experienced eye pain when dealing with the rays for extended periods of time that people began to connect the dots and understand the negative