Physical Characteristics of X-Ray film

Film construction

Double coated film

X-Ray Film Construction

Film base Adhesive layer
attaches emulsion to base

Emulsion layer Supercoating

.007
.0005

Supercoating Adhesive Layers Film Base Emulsion Layers

Film Base
structural support for fragile emulsion low light absorption no visible pattern Film flexible, thick, & strong Base
processing handling viewbox insertion / removal abuse

dimensional stability It should maintain its Size & Shape

in processing & use For archival
varying humidity

 Should be inert Should be of uniform lucency

Film Base Materials

early films used cellulose nitrate
Flammable

safety base
cellulose triacetate used until 1960s polyester
.007 inches thick

Base color
Clear Blue dye added Requested by radiologists reduces eye strain

Film Base

.007

 Polyster More resistant to wraping with age and is stronger. The polyster bases are similar in composition to the polyster fibres in clothing.

Emulsion
It is heart of xray film. It is material in which xray or light photons from screen interact & transfer information. It consists of homogenous mixture of gelatin and silver halide(silver bromide & silver iodide) crystals.Beside this it also contains various additives like wetting agents,

 hardner,antifoggants,sensitizers etc Most films use two emulsions

each emulsion <=.5 mil thick
thicker emulsion = less light penetration

Gelatin
keeps silver halide grains dispersed / prevents clumping allows penetration of processing solutions without compromising strength or performance made from cattle bones

 Emulsion should be clear and porous so that it transmits light and alows chemicals to peneterare to the crystals of silver halide during processing.

 To be suitable in radiography emulson should have to important characteristics. (a)speed or sensitivity The relative ability of an emulsion to respond to light or xrays. An emulsion is said to be fast or high speed if small exposure produces a radiograph of adequate density(blackening)

 Ordinary xray films is rated as being fast. (b)Latitude The ability of emulsion to display the radiographic image Another aspect of latitude is margin of error permissible with any given technique.

Silver iodobromide crystal lattice In emulsion

Br-

I-

Ag+

Supercoating
Thin supercoating covers emulsion protects from mechanical damage makes film smooth & slick for use with processors
Supercoating

Silver Halide
light sensitive 90 - 99% silver bromide 1 - 10% silver iodide
increases sensitivity

small crystals (grains) precipitated and emulsified in gelatin

crystal has lattice structure
Ag+ / Br- / I-

silver nitrate added

Silver Halide
precipitation determines crystal size & concentration
typical size: 1 - 1.5 microns 1 grain averages 1 - 10 million silver ions

chemical sensitization of crystal

sulfur-containing compound added to emulsion silver sulfide formed
usually located on crystal surface called sensitivity speck traps electrons to begin formation of latent image centers

Light Image on Film

light photon allows escape of electron in bromine ion (Br -) neutral bromine atoms leave crystal, go into emulsion gelatin electron travels to, fixed in sensitivity speck negative sensitivity speck attracts mobile silver (Ag+) ion forming silver atom

Ag+ + electron

Ag

repeated trapping of electrons results in growth of silver

Latent Image Centers

one light photon produces one silver atom silver atoms collect at sensitivity speck and forms latent image.
no visible change in grain

visible amounts of silver deposited at latent image centers during processing one or more latent image centers per grain
3 - 6 centers required for grain to be developable centers may contain 100s of silver atoms

Direct X-Ray Exposure of Film

photoelectric & Compton interactions in film liberated electrons have long ranges each electron reacts with many grains electrons strip other electrons from BrBromine atoms & free electrons produced electrons captured at sensitivity speck as before

Direct X-Ray Exposure

Efficiency
most photon energy lost
much energy lost in gelatin only 3 - 10% of photon energy produces silver

sensitivity varies with

kVp Processing

Types of film
(1)Screen film most often used Has three characteristicscontrast,speed and light absorption. High contrast fim produces very black and white image while a low contrast film is more gray.

 Screen films are available with different speed. In general thicker the emulsion the more sensitive the film & therefore higher the speed. If emulsion is too thick than it is not properly exposed. Lare grain emulsion are more sensitive than small one.

 Most imp. Consideration in selecting a screen film is spectral absorption characteristics. The film sensitivity to various colors of light should match with spectrum of light emitted by the screen. Calcium tungstate screens emit blue and blue voilet lights.

 The film sensitive to these light is k/a blue sensitive film. If rare earth screen is used it should be matched with a film that is sensitive not only to blue light but also to green light.Such film is orthochromatic & K/a green sensitive film. If there is improper match of fim & screen image receptor speed

 Will be greatly reduced & pt. dose is increased. In darkroom- for blue sensitive film amber filter & for green sensitive film red filter is to be used. (2)Direct exposure or Nonscreen film.- has thicker emulsion. Mainly used in industries. Manually processed.

 (3)Mammography film- is a fine grain single emulsion film designed to be exposed with a single intensifying screen. (4)Duplicating film.-Single emulsion film. Used to copy radiographs. (5)Substraction film- single emulsion. Used in angiography.

 (6)Dental films are doble emulsions film. Exposed without screens. (7)Medical imaging film.- used in CT,Digital radiography,Nuclear magnetic resonance,PEET etc. These films are single coated (8)Other films- cine film ,spot film. laser film.

SUMMARY
Xray film is a photographic film coated with emulsion on both sides of the film base. Xray film has got Base Emulsion Adhesive between base & emulsion. Supercoating.

 The light sensitive material in the emulsion is silver iodobromide crystal. Latent image-is siliver atoms deposited at sensitivity speck.