Notebook 13

Factors that affect the quality and quantity of the x-ray beam
In earlier chapters we talked about how other factors like tube design, target material, filtration, and
voltage waveform effect the x-ray beam. There are three factors though that are directly controlled by
the radiographer and these are called the prime factors. These three prime factors are milliamperagesecond (mAs), kilovoltage (kVp), and distance (d) and they affect the quantity and quality of the x-ray
beam
Milliamperagesecond (mAs)

Milliamperage (mA) alone is a measurement of x-ray tube current. This is the

number of electrons crossing the tube from cathode to anode per second. As mA
increases , so does the number of electrons that are able to cross the tube to reach
the x-ray target. Milliamperage is directly proportional to tube current, as the mA
doubles so does the number of electrons able to cross the tube. The number of
electrons reaching the target is also controlled by the length of time the tube is
energized. X-ray exposure time is measured in seconds. The number of x-rays that
will be created at the target is a product of the number of electrons crossing the
tube (tube current) and how long the electrons are allowed to cross. Milliamperagesecond (mAs) is the unit used to describe the product of tube current and exposure
time. The equation to describe this relation is mA x s= mAs and this is the primary
controller of x-ray quantity. Milliamperage-second controls the density of the image
produced. Density is the degree of blackening on an x-ray film.

Kilovoltage
(kVp)

Kilovoltage controls both the quantity and quality of the x-ray beam. Increasing the
kVp on an x-ray control panel will cause an increase in the speed and energy of the
electrons applied across the x-ray tube. Kilovoltage affects the quantity of the x-ray
beam because more interactions occur at the target as kVp increases. Kilovoltage
affects the quality of the x-ray beam because each electron has more energy, so it
results in a beam with greater penetrability.

Distance (d)

As the distance of the tube is increased, the intensity of the x-ray beam will
decrease. The measurement of the x-ray intensity is obtained by using a dosimeter.
X-ray intensity (exposure) is measured in roentgens (R) but in diagnostic radiology
the more common measurement is milliroentgens (mR). There are more x-ray
photons closest to the x-ray target and then from there they travel out in all
directions. The photons that exit the tube port make up the primary, useful beam.
As the primary beam travels down towards the patient it spreads and widens,
diminishing the intensity or quantity. The relationship of x-ray quantity to distance is
described in the inverse square law. The inverse square law states that the intensity
of radiation at a given distance from the point source is inversely proportional to the
square of the distance. So distance affects the quantity of the x-ray beam in that as
distance is increased, the intensity or quantity of photons will decrease and
inversely as the distance of the x-ray beam decreases, the quantity or intensity of
your beam will increase.

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There is another factor mentioned in this chapter that has a quantitative and also a qualitative effect on
the x-ray beam, and that is filtration. Filtration is not something the radiographer controls from exposure
to exposure. There is always a filter being used during an exam it affects the quality of the x-ray beam
because it is hardening the x-ray beam. It is taking the soft, weaker energy photons and hardening them
to go directly to the patient to get a better image. Filtration affects the quality with the same concept. It
is taking the soft energy photons that only create scatter radiation to the patient and anyone else in the
room and hardens them. This helps avoid unnecessary radiation and helps create a better image. There
is also the half-value layer that is part of filtration. Half-value layer is the amount of absorbing material
that will reduce the intensity of the primary beam to one half its original value and this is typically
expressed in terms of aluminum filtration equivalency (Al/Eq).

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