“In life the biggest battle you

have to face is with your Own

Self…….and if you win it you
can achieve Anything….! “

DR. HARITMA NIGAM

READER
DEPT. OF ORAL MEDICINE &
RADIOLOGY
 LATENT
IMAGE
• Radiographicfilm (recording medium)
used in dental radiography.

• Film exposed beam of photons exiting

an object

• Photosensitive silver halide crystals

in the film emulsion interact with
these photons and are chemically
ON
changed. DEVELOPIN
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G PROCESS
PHYSICS OF LATENT IMAGE
FORMATION
Emulsion of an x-ray film silver
bromide crystal = silver and
bromide ions + free interstitial
silver ions + sensitivity sites

Exposure of the crystal to photons in an

x-ray beam release of electrons, usually
by interaction of the photon with a
bromide ion.

1)Bromide ions Bromine atoms 2)Recoil

electrons have sufficient kinetic energy to
move about in the crystal
impart areach
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a c
negative
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 Free interstitial silver ions
(with a
positive charge) are attracted
to the negatively charged
sensitivity site.
When the silver ions reach the
sensitivity site, they acquire an
electron and become neutral
silver atoms.

silver atoms now constitute a

latent image site.
The collection of latent image sites
over the entire film constitutes the
latent image.
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EMULSION CHANGES DURING FILM
PROCESSING
Before exposure = many silver
bromide crystals (emulsion).

After exposure = neutral silver atoms at latent

image sites constitute the latent image in the
crystals).

Developer = neutral silver atoms at the

latent image sites into solid grains of
metallic silver.

Fixer = Dissolves the unexposed,

undeveloped silver bromide crystals
leaving only the solid silver grains
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DR. HARITMA
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PRACTICAL
PROCESSING
METHODS
Manual or
wet Automatic
processing processing

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 MANUAL
• PROCESSING
Manual processing = darkroom.

GENERAL Red GBX-2

REQUIREMENTS: filter is
recomended
as a safelight
• Absolute light-tightness in darkrooms
• • Adequate working space because this
filter
• • Adequate ventilation transmits
• • Adequate washing light only at
facilities the red end
of the
• • Adequate film storage
Safelights — positioned 4 feet from
the work

Surfaces with 15 W bulbs

 TESTS FOR CHECKING
UNSAFE
ILLUMINATION

• Film fogging can occur

due to:

• i. Use of inappropriate
safe light filters.

• ii. Excessive exposure to

safe light filters.
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a. Coin test/Penny
test is a test to
evaluate for fogging
caused by
inappropriate
safelighting
conditions.

– Shut all lights and put

on the safe lights.
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• – Open film packet and place the base film in
the area where films are usually unwrapped.

• – Place a coin on the film and leave it in this

position for approximately the time required

• to unwrap and mount a full mouth set of

radiographs, usually 5 minutes.

• – Develop the test film as usual.

• – Inference: If the image of the coin can

be seen on the resultant film, the room is
not light safe for the particular film
• b. To check whether there is no
light leak, shut the door and shut
off all the lights in the dark room.

• A few minutes after you become

accustomed to the darkness,
carefully view all the areas, like
periphery of doors and windows to
check whether any light from
outside is been seen inside the dark
room.
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• b. To check whether there is no
light leak, shut the door and shut
off all the lights in the dark room.

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••
PROCESSING
EQUIPMENT

• — Tanks
containing the
various
solutions
• — Thermometer
• — Immersion
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PROCESSING
SOLUTIONS
• Two different processing
solutions are required, the
developer and the fixer.

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DEVELOPING
SOLUTION
(1)
DEVELOPER (2)
ACTIVATOR

(3) (4)
PRESERVATI RESTRAINE
R
VE

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• • Development TIME (in fresh
solutions) is dependent on the
TEMPERATURE of the solution.
The usual value recommended is 5
minutes at 20°C.

• • If the temperature is too high,

development is rapid, the film may
be too dark and the emulsion may
be damaged.

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FIXING
SOLUTION
(1)CLEARIN
G AGENT (2) ACIDIFIER

(3)
(4) HARDENER.
PRESERVATI
VE

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FIXING
SOLUTION

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MANUAL
PROCESSING TANKS
•(8 x 10 inches) that can serve
as a water.

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MANUAL
PROCESSING TANKS
• The tank must have hot and cold
running water and a means of
maintaining the temperature
between 600 and 750 F.

• A practical size for a dental

office is a master tank about
20 x 25cU1 (8 x 10 inches)
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• Insert tanks = 3.8L (1 gallon) of
developer or fixer and are placed
within the outer, larger master tank.

• outer tank = running water for

maintaining the temperature of the
developer and fixer in the insert
tanks and for washing films.
• Developer = left side of the master
tank Fixer = right.

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• All three tanks = stainless steel,
which does not react with the
processing solutions and is easy to
clean.

• Master tank should have a cover to :

• Reduce oxidation of the
processing solutions,
• Protect the developing film
from accidental exposure to
light
solutio
•n
Minimize evaporation of the
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 THERMOME
TER
• Controlling the temperature of the
developing, fixing, and washing
solutions.

• A thermometer can be left in the

water circulating through the master
tank to monitor its temperature.

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Thermometers may contain alcohol
or metal, but they should not
contain mercury because they
could break and contaminate the
 TIME
•RThe x-ray film must be exposed
to the processing chemicals for
specific intervals.

• An interval timer is indispensable

for controlling development and
fixation times.

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 DRYING RACKS

Electric fan = circulate the air and

speed the drying of films, but it should
not be pointed directly at the
films.

• Excessive heat must be avoided

because it may damage the
emulsion.
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MANNUAL
PROCESSING
PROCEDURE

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DR. HARITMA
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 CHANGING
SOLUTIONS
• Regular replenishment, solutions
may last 3 or 4 weeks before
they must be changed.

• When the developer and fixer are

replaced, the solutions must be
prepared according to the
directions on the containers.
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 HOW TO
CHECK
•A ??? can help determine when single film
simple procedure
packet is exposed on one projection for the first patient
radiographed after new solutions have been prepared.

• One film is placed in the patient’s chart, and the other is

mounted on a corner of a view box in the darkroom.

• As successive films are processed, they are compared with this

reference ~l~

• Loss of image contrast and density become evident as the

solutions deteriorate, indicating when the time has come to
change them.

• The fixer is changed wh e n t h e d eveloper is

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 AUTOMATIC FILM PROCESSING
• This method uses equipment that
automates all the processing steps.

There are two types:

• a. Automatic Dunking Models that
produces a washed film that still has
to be dried.
• b. Miniature Roller type that
produces a dried film.
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• The automatic processor may
have a day light loading
compartment for intraoral
films thereby preluding the
need to work in the darkroom.
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MECHANI
SM

• The design is a in-line

arrangement, consisting of a
transport mechanism that
picks up the unwrapped film
and passes it through the
developing, fixing, washing
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and drying sections.

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• The rollers often consist of
independent assemblies of
multiple rollers in a rack, with
one main rack.

• The transport system most often

used is a series of rollers driven
by a constant-speed motor that
operates through gears, belts or
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 GUIDE TO FEEDING OF
FILMS IN THE
AUTOMATIC
PROCESSOR

• 1. Feed the film slowly and carefully,

in a straight line - to avoid jam-up.
• 2. If the film is bent, insert the
unbent side first.
• 3. Do not feed damp or wet films
into the machine as it will
contaminate the rollers.
• Replenishment
• To maintain the developer and
fixer by preserving the optimal
physical properties of the film
emulsion.

• As in the manual processing, 8

ounces of fresh developer and
fixer should be added per
gallon of solution per day,
assuming that 30 intraoral or 5
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 ADVANTA
GES
• • Rapidity (less than 4-7 minutes).
• • Uniformity of results.
• • Less floor space required and have
daylight loading capability.
• • No wet films to be handled, no film
hangers, and film dryer.
• • No wet reading of films. A dry film is
more useful diagnostically than a
wet film.
• • Density and contrast consistent.
. DR. HARITMA
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DISADVANTA
GES
• • Quality is not as high as that of a
manually developed radiograph.
More grain is evident in the
final image.

• • High cost of equipment and

maintenance
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DR. HARITMA
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