Compatibility of Automatic Exposure Control with New Screen Phosphors in Diagnostic Roentgenography.
Abstract
Automatic exposure control systems are used in diagnostic roentgenography to obtain proper film density for a variety of patient examinations and roentgenographic techniques. Most automatic exposure control systems have been designed for use with par speed, calcium tungstate intensifying screens. The use of screens with faster speeds and new phosphor materials has put extreme demands on present systems. The performance of a representative automatic exposure control system is investigated to determine its ability to maintain constant film density over a wide range of x-ray tube voltages and acrylic phantom thicknesses with four different intensifying screen phosphors. The effects of x-ray energy dependence, generator switching time and stored change are investigated. The system is able to maintain film density to within plus or minus 0.2 optical density units for techniques representing adult patients. A single nonadjustable tube voltage compensation circuit is adequate for the four different screen phosphors for x-ray tube voltages above sixty peak kilovolts. For techniques representing pediatric patients at high x-ray tube voltages, excess film density occurs due to stored charge in the transformer and high-voltage cables. An anticipation circuit in the automatic exposure control circuit can be modified to correct for stored charge effects. In a separate experiment the energy dependence of three different ionization chamber detectors used in automatic exposure control systems is compared directly with the energy dependence of three different screen phosphors. The data on detector sensitivity and screen speed are combined to predict the best tube voltage compensation for each combination of screen and detector.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- March 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982PhDT........71M
- Keywords:
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- Physics: Radiation