X-RAY QUALITY

PENETRABILITY
Refers to the ability of x-rays to penetrate deeper in tissue. High energy x-rays are able to penetrate tissue more deeply than lower energy x-rays.

X-ray quality
The penetrability of an x-ray beam.

X-rays with high penetrability are termed high-quality x-rays, and those with low penetrability are low quality x-rays.

HALF VALUE LAYER

Is the thickness of absorbing material necessary to reduce the xray intensity to half of its original value.

 100-keV x-rays are attenuated at the rate of approximately 3%cm of soft tissue, 10keV x-rays are attenuated at approximately 15%cm of soft tissue. X-rays of any given energy are more penetrating in material of low atomic number than in material of high atomic number.

 In radiography, the quality of x-rays is measured by the HVL. Therefore, HVL is a characteristic of the useful x-ray beam. A diagnostic x-ray beam usually has an HVL in the range of 3 to 5mm Al to 3 to 6cm of soft tissue.

STEPS TO DETERMINE THE HVL

1. Determine the x-ray beam intensity with no absorbing material in the beam and then with different known thickness of an absorber. 2.Plot the ordered pairs of data thickness of absorber, x-ray quantity. 3.Determine the x-ray quantity equal to half the original quantity, and locate this value on the y-or vertical axis of the graph in Figure 9-3. 4. Draw a horizontal line parallel to the x-axis from point A in step 3 until it intersects the curve (B). 5. From point B drop a vertical line to the axis. 6.On the x-axis read the thickness of the absorber required to reduce the x-ray intensity to half of its original value point (C). This is the HVL.

 X-ray beam quality can be identified by voltage or filtration, but HVL is most appropriate.