Bushong: Radiologic Science for Technologists, 11th Edition
Chapter 11: Control of Scatter Radiation
Answers to Challenge Questions
1. a. kVp, field size, and patient thickness.
b. 1.0 mm of aluminum equivalent.
c. The degree of black, gray, and white appearance of a radiograph. The more black
and white, the higher the contrast.
d. When the exposure of the image receptor is not uniform because of misalignment of
the grid. Image forming x-rays are unnecessarily absorbed in the grid strips.
e. Characteristic of any device that confines the useful x-ray beam to the anatomic
structure under examination.
f. X-rays produced from an area of the anode other than the focal spot.
g. Positive beam-limiting device; an automatic, variable-aperture, light-localizing
collimator.
h. Remove the grid and allow 15 cm or more between the patient and the image
receptor (OID). Scatter radiation may miss the image receptor because of the air gap.
i. The x-rays transmitted through the patient and scattered in the patient that interact
with the image receptor and contribute to the image formation.
j. The ratio of the image contrast obtained using a grid to the contrast obtained with no
grid.
2. To reduce scatter radiation reaching the image receptor. This improves image contrast.
3. Lead strips separated by a radiolucent interspace. The height of the grid divided by the
interspace width is the grid ratio.
4. 74 kVp/120 mAs will result in better image contrast but a higher patient dose than 82
kVp/80 mAs.
5. More scatter.
6. Grid ratio = h/D = 2.8 mm/.35 mm = 8:1.
7. Increasing beam filtration reduces both image contrast and patient dose.
8. Tissue compression reduces the thickness of the tissue so that less scatter radiation is
produced. The result is better image contrast and also lower patient dose.
9. More than half of the x-rays are Compton scattered.
10. Diaphragm, cone, cylinder, variable-aperture light-localizing collimator.
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Answers to Challenge Questions 11-2
11. Compression of tissue is particularly important in mammography.
12. Improve image contrast. Reduce volume of tissue irradiated, and therefore, reduce
effective dose.
13. The source-to-image receptor distance (SID) remains constant. The source-to-object
distance (SOD) is reduced bringing the patient closer to the source.
14. To ensure that the x-ray beam has been properly collimated.
15. When kVp is reduced, the mAs must be increased (thus increasing the patient dose) in
order for the exposure of the image receptor to remain the same.
16. The area of tissue that will be exposed to x-rays.
17. Misalignment or wrong distance from the focal spot.
18. Yes. It adds approximately 1.0 mm Al equivalent filtration.
19. The position and/or the angle of the mirror in the collimator.
20. Never. The x-ray field should never exceed the size of the image receptor.
Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.