How Do X-Rays Become Visible on Medical Imaging?

[Stylewriter]

Hey!
Of course you can help me! :) I need some information about HOW TO MAKE X-RAY VISIBLE. I know that it depends on the atomic number, but I need it more specific, do you know where I can get some information about my problem?
I don't want you to write an essay for me, but I really need some help, where I can find some useful texts!
Thank you very much :)

 

[Adrian Baker]

er..what?

What do X-rays have to do with atomic numbers?

Could you be a bit clearer in your meaning?

 

[SpaceTiger]

One way is with a scintillator. Here's an interesting thread on the subject.

 

[Doc Al]

Fluoroscopy

Not sure what you're looking for, but do a Google on "Fluoroscopy". You'll find plenty of info on that technique which allows one to view x-rays by having them hit a fluorescent screen.

 

[brewnog]

Another way is by letting the X-rays fall onto a photosensitive film, before developing and fixing the film. This is how medical X-rays are taken.

 

[GENIERE]

You can accelerate away from the x-ray source. At some appreciable fraction of C, the X-rays will begin to be visible to the unaided eye.

...

 

[Stylewriter]

wow, thank you very much for so many replies!
know I've got enough to read ;)

some more questions I've got, which need to be explained in a very easy way:
- How can you "create" x-rays?
- and what can you do with it...

it would be great if i get as much replies as yesterday :)
thanks a lot!

 

[brewnog]

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/xray/making_xrays.html a lovely simple website which tells you 2 ways of making X-rays, in an extremely simple way! I'm sure someone will expand on this if it's too simplistic for you.

Anyway, on to uses. As you probably know, a common use for X-rays is in medicine, especially when diagnosing broken and fractured bones. The X-rays penetrate right through the softer tissue, but are partially blocked by denser tissue, so leave a 'shadow', which is recorded on photographic film.

A very similar technique can be used in industry to detect faults in welds on pressure vessels like aeroplanes and pipelines.

 

[Stylewriter]

hey!
thank you very much! this website is great!

 

[Adrian Baker]

You can accelerate away from the x-ray source. At some appreciable fraction of C, the X-rays will begin to be visible to the unaided eye.

...

What a great method!

 

[cjc_75]

A very similar technique can be used in industry to detect faults in welds on pressure vessels like aeroplanes and pipelines.

I actually do this for a living! We have X-Ray tubes, internal "crawling" tubes although I normally use Gamma sources such as Ir92, and Co60...just depends on the "quality" of the radiation suitable for the job.

99% of the time we use film from Kodak,Fuji etc etc. but as mentioned there is flouroscopy for real-time viewing. There are also some fluorescing salt screens, but I have'nt had any exposure to them. Once again, it all depends on the sensitivity,contrast etc. required when you choose your medium.

 

[Stylewriter]

It's me again
I've got another question to the x-rays:

Why do we see something on a screen or an a picture or ... if the doctor x-rays e.g. my hand? Is there a more scientific answer than that the x-ray gets absorbed by my bones and there the picture stays white?

Thanks for your effort!

 

[pervect]

I was just reading that they were recoverign the text of some old documents by irradiating them with x-rays. The ink used for the original set of documents would flouresce because it contained iron. I don't know the specific wavelength or any of the details.

These are the sole surviving copies of some of Archimedes work. Google could probably find more info.

 

[brewnog]

Why do we see something on a screen or an a picture or ... if the doctor x-rays e.g. my hand? Is there a more scientific answer than that the x-ray gets absorbed by my bones and there the picture stays white?

Not really! Think of it as a shadow. The softer, more fleshy parts of your body allow more X-rays through, while your hard bones (and things like cartiledge and tumours) are denser, so let fewer X-rays penetrate. The areas on the photographic film which are more heavily exposed to X-rays turn black when developed.

This is the basic idea of it. If you want more scientific stuff, try researching X-ray absorption spectra of the human body.