Effects of rare-earth filters on patient exposure and image contrast
Minimizing patient exposure while maintaining a diagnostically acceptable radiograph is a major goal in diagnostic radiography. Rare-earth filters may be the means to achieve this goal due to their band-pass effect. The purpose of this study was to examine the image contrast effects and exposure reductions for various thicknesses of aluminum, samarium, gadolinium, gadolinium oxysulfide, and gadolinium oxysulfide added to 2.5 mm of aluminum. Trials were conducted on an intra-oral dental x-ray unit (range, 65 to 90 kVp). When compared with conventional aluminum, all of the rare-earth filters provided lower radiation exposures, with gadolinium in the metallic or oxysulfide form providing the lowest exposures. Samarium, at a thickness of 0.127 mm, yielded the highest image contrast. Gadolinium or gadolinium oxysulfide added to 2.5 mm of aluminum resulted in a slight loss of contrast when compared with conventional aluminum filtration. This loss may not be clinically significant, and when coupled with the reduced exposure afforded by these filters, they become viable as acceptable alternatives to aluminum filtration.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- OSTI ID:
- 5976085
- Journal Information:
- J. Dent. Res.; (United States), Vol. 66:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CONTRAST MEDIA
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DENTISTRY
IMAGE INTENSIFIERS
PATIENTS
RADIATION DOSES
ALUMINIUM
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
FILTRATION
GADOLINIUM
RADIATION PROTECTION
SAMARIUM
SURFACE PROPERTIES
X RADIATION
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MEDICINE
METALS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
RADIATIONS
RADIOLOGY
RARE EARTHS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
550602* - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)
550600 - Medicine