IMAGING PROCESSES

Definition: Imaging processes is a multistep process by which information concerning patient

anatomy and physiology is gathered and displayed with the use of modern technology

Radiography as a profession had its birth in the early 1900s’ following the discovery of invisible
unknown rays. In 1895 November 8, William Conrad Roentgen discovered that a certain combination
of a vacuum tube and the application of electricity produced rays which where invisible but had the
power to penetrate solid objects and recorded the outlines of these objects on a chemically treated
screen in the darkness’. Immediately it was apparent that this knowledge could be applied to the
examination of soft tissue and bone structure of the human body and this discovery proved to be of
immeasurable value to medical science, particularly as it was found that x-ray affected photographic
film in the same way as light.

In 1896, one year after he made his discovery, a distinguished meeting of scientists in Germany who
were called together to hear Dr. Roentgen’s report noted that x-rays be named roentgen’s rays in his
honour and the name has persisted to date. X-ray equipment is commonly known as roentgen
apparatus and the science is known as roentgenology. X-ray photography is often called
roentgenography. Today, radiographic photography is called IMAGING PROCESSES.

IMAGE PRODUCTION and IMAGE RECORDING MATERIALS

Both radiographic and photographic materials consist of film base and sensitive emulsion containing
compounds sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Some compounds commonly used are silver
bromide, silver chloride and silver iodide. These three salts are commonly called silver halides. Silver
halides are also referred to as halogens.

Each compound does exhibit or show different characteristics and qualities. Silver halides are
sensitive to all electro-magnetic radiation up to the wavelength of about 700nm. However, this
sensitivity can be extended by addition of sensitizers /dyes.

HALOGENS:- This is the collective name for the group 7 elements of the periodic table. Element like
bromide combine well with silver which make very sensitive silver halides used in both photographic
and radiographic materials

1. Silver bromide: This is comely used in radiographic and photographic emulsions

2. Silver chloride: This type of coated emulsion has the following advantages,
 Has fast developing properties
 Has fast fixing properties

The main disadvantage of silver chloride is that it has a lower photographic sensitivity. However, it
finds its main use in making emulsions for contact printing papers.

3. Silver iodide: Some quantity of about 2% of silver iodide is added into silver bromide. Usually
this is commonly found in high speed film emulsions. Therefore, the presence of silver iodide
increases the sensitivity of the film emulsion and it also increases the clearing time of the
film in the fixer solution.

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What are electromagnetic radiations?

These are energies which have a combination of electric and magnetic properties. They are arranged
in a series called electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore a spectrum is the arrangement of constituent
parts in series according to their energy and wave-length. In short, a spectrum comprises of different
radiations from radio waves through visible light to x-rays, all of which share common properties.

ELECTROMAGNETISM

This is the transportation of energy through space as a combination of electric and magnetic fields.
Light is a form of electromagnetic energy that can be seen and heat is a form of energy that can be
felt. Both light and electromagnetic waves are family members of energy conveyors, which include
radio, radar, x-rays and gamma rays.

Radiography is concerned mostly with the x-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and makes
considerable use of the visible spectrum portion in recording of the image.

THE GELATIN

These are coroids of animal substances used to make the jelly into which the silver are embedded or
suspended. They are usually made from animal bones ie hooves and sensitizers are added which
either increases the film sensitivity and film base visibility.

Characteristics of gelatine as a suspending/binding agent:

1. It keeps silver halide crystals evenly distributed within the suspension.

2. It dissolves into a liquid when warned i.e this enables it to be coated onto the base.
3. It forms a jelly when cooled
4. It is penetrated by liquids and this makes processing easy
5. It naturally contains sensitizers which influence the speed of the emulsion.
6. It relatively prevents fogging action of the film.
7. It prevents the reversal of the image after exposure

THE SPECTRAL SENSITIVITY

This is the response of film materials to colour of different wavelengths. Films are sensitive to colour
in a different way than a human eye. Silver halides are more sensitive to blue light. The sensitivity
also extends to the short wavelength region of electromagnetic spectrum eg x-rays and gamma rays.

However, they are less sensitive to long wavelength regions like red, orange etc. Ordinary x-rays are
less sensitive to blue light while the human eye is more sensitive to yellow colour.

To improve sensitivity of film materials in comparison to human eye, optical dyes sensitizers are
added i.e sometimes these dyes also depend on the type of film and work they are intended for.

TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS

Photographic films are categorised into four main groups namely:

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Monochromatic:- These are blue sensitive films. They are ordinary x-ray film. They contain no
sensitizing dyes and are sensitive to short wavelength region of electromagnetic spectrum. They do
not respond satisfactorily well to wave lengths longer than blue.

Orthochromatic films:- They have the special sensitivity of the blue sensitive film emulsion and is
also sensitive to green and yellow of electromagnetic spectrum. In this case sensitizers are added.

Panchromatic films:- This has the special sensitivity of orthochromatic film extending to the red
region of the spectrum ie it is sensitive to all colours and sensitizers are also added.

Infrared film:- These have an extended sensitivity starting from short wavelength region to infrared
region.

In combination with some films, it is accepted that intensifying screens are used to emit light that is
used by conversional x-ray emulsions. In all cases, the wavelength to light emitted by intensifying
screens should correspond ie to expose an x-ray film with intensifying screens, it is necessary for the
silver halide grains in the film to absorb light emitted by the screen phosphors.

IMAGES PRODUCED BY X-RAY

Radiography is the making of images by means of x-rays; hence diagnostic imaging is the method of
information transfer from the subject (patient) to the observers. The transfer can be analysed in
three distinct stages:-

1. The formation of an invisible x-ray image.

2. The convention of invisible x-ray image into the visible light image
3. The viewing, perception and interpretation of visible light image

THE INVISIBLE IMAGE

As the x-rays penetrate through the patient some radiations will be absorbed and some transmitted.
Thus the x-ray beam now carries a pattern of varying intensities which reflects the anatomy of
tissues which has been penetrated.

It is this invisible pattern or image which must be made visible to form the radiographic image.

This depends on;

1. The wavelength of x-rays

2. Atomic number or physical density of tissue
3. Differences in thickness of the anatomical structure.
4. The presence of radiological contrast agent
5. The x-ray beam filtration

The higher the atomic number the more the absorption of radiation

Bone absorbs more x-rays than tissues of the same thickness and tissues absorb more x-rays than
air. Similarly disease structure absorption characteristics of x-rays are different from healthy or
normal structure.