K.O.

K Perera
UCHS/BMET/FT/2014/19
 Content
Introduction
Principles of an operation
Components
Operating Console
High Frequency Generator
X ray Tube
Collimator & Grid
X ray Film
Medical Applications
 Introduction
Highly Penetrating Electromagnetic
Radiation
Discovered by Mr. Wilhilm Rontgen
An x ray machine is a complex
device used in variety of
circumstances
 Purposes

. With the ability to penetrate hard

objects. they are used for purposes
such as air port security check
points to see into backs, or in the
medical community to look for
broken bones or problems within
the body.
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONS
 PARTS OF X-RAY MACHINE
X-ray has three main components:
Operating Console
High Frequency Generator
X-ray Tube
Internal
External

Other Parts include

Collimator and Grid
Bucky
X-ray Film
 Operating Console
The operating console allows the radiologic
technologist to control the x-ray tube current
and voltage so that the useful x-ray beam is
of proper quantity and quality.
Radiation quantity refers to the number of x-
rays or the intensity of the x-ray beam.
 High Frequency Generator
A high frequency generator powers the
X-ray tube. Earlier, high voltage
generators were used.
X ray Tube
Internal Cathode
Anode

X-rays

External
X-ray tube design
Protective Housing
 Glass envelope
Made of Pyrex glass
Tube maintains a vacuum.
Tube window
A segment of glass that is thinner than
the rest of the glass envelope.
Contributes to inherent filtration.
0.5mm Al equivalency.
 Cathode

Negatively charged electrode.

Two primary parts:
Filament
Focusing cup
Focusing Cup
The focusing cup helps control electron cloud
The electrons repel each other & want to
spread
out. The focusing cup forces the electrons to
form a small stream as they move toward the
target material
Made of nickel
Has a low negative charge
Filament
Most x-ray tubes have a dual filament cathode
assembly - also known as dual focus
The two filaments sit parallel to each other in the
focusing cup & share a common ground wire.
Most filament coils
are 7-15mm long ,
1-2mm wide,
0.1-0.2mm thick

S. Guilbaud, Education Director

 Anode
Positively charged electrode.
Two types.
Stationary anode.
Rotating anode.
 Stationary Anode
Made of tungsten
target embedded in
a large copper bar.
Usually used in
dental x-ray
machine.
 Rotating anode
Constructed of
tungsten target (focal
track).
High melting point
34000 Celsius.
Molybdenum
Graphite
Serves as mount for
molybdenum and
tungsten target.
 Collimator and Grid
Collimator is a device used to minimize
the field of view, avoid unnecessary
exposure using lead plates. Lead
shutter are used to restrict the beam.
The collimator is attached to the X-ray
below the glass window where the
useful beams is emitted.
 Grid is similar to a collimator except
they have different positions. Grid
is placed right after the patient. It is
made up of lead strips, which is
used to eliminated scattered light.
These strips only allow rays at 90
to pass through.
 X-ray Film
It is film that is placed after the bucky.
It turns black when X-rays interact with
it and stays white where the X-rays are
absorbed. This causes an image to be
formed that is in black, grays and
white.
 Medical Applications of X-rays

The uses of x rays in the fields of

medicine and dentistry have been
extremely important. Examples might
include the observation of the broken
bones and torn ligaments, the detection
of breast cancer in women, or the
discovery of cavities and impacted
wisdom teeth.
 References
Selman, J. The Fundamentals of X-Ray and
Radium Physics, 8th Edition, Charles Thomas,
1994.
Text: H.E Johns and J.R. Cunningham, The
physics of radiology, 4th ed.