There are several different tools that we use when taking exposures. Some tools are more common than others, like markers. Markers are used to distinguish the left side of the body from the right. Because X-rays are two dimensional images, they are unable to show the left side verses the right side on first glance.… Read more

X-rays are an important aspect of healthcare and are used to help to help diagnose patients. X-rays are useful in detecting different abnormalities within the body. It is a non-invasive way to help see different problems such as tumors, broken bones, and identify the presence of foreign bodies. We are able to use X-rays to… Read more

Image evaluation can be both one of the most easy and difficult things that a radiology technologist will encounter during their career. Images have to be aligned in a specific way in order to capture different aspects of the body. Images need to exhibit specific positioning so that all images have a standard reference point.… Read more

When explaining the X-ray procedure to a family, it is important to first understand that they are concerned for the well being of their family member. At the end of the day, they want the best for their family member and hearing that radiation is going to be used can be a little scary for… Read more

For each exam, there are different considerations that have to be taken into account when positioning or moving a patient. This is because there are some procedures that, when preformed properly, move the body in places that could potentially further harm the patient. A patient’s mobility is one of the most important considerations that we… Read more

There are going to be times when you and your patient do not speak the same language. This is common especially when thinking about all of the different types of cultures and people that live in the United States. It is important to not freak out and start panicking. There are a few things that… Read more

I know what you are thinking. . . “man X-ray technologists use secret code when talking to one another” and while you are not wrong, we have an understanding of common words or phrases to mean different things. For example, when we talk about different aspects of the body, we will often times talk about… Read more

While some might believe that X-ray technologists are just button pushers, that is not the case. There are responsibilities that we must do behind the scenes in order to give the radiologist images that they will be able to read. First and foremost, if image analysis was not your cup of tea in school, then… Read more

For this example, I will be choosing a hand X-ray. When taking an X-ray, it is important for the technologist to fully know what they are looking at when taking an X-ray. For this reason, we will take anywhere from 1-3 different anatomy courses during our education. The first thing that you should do after… Read more

When taking an X-ray, it is important to understand that the distance between an object and the image receptor can cause an image to become magnified. This magnification can be evaluated mathematically with the equation of M=SID/SOD. SOD stands for SID-OID mathematically. So imagine that there is an object that is hovering 10 inches above… Read more

Quantum model in radiology is what happens to an image when not enough X-ray photons make it to the imaging receptor. It creates a grainy image and is primarily the fault of not having a high enough mAs. When increasing mAs to help fix the quantum model, the radiologist must increase their exposure factors. This… Read more

Go figure. . . X-ray is not the only modality in radiology, but it is the best! There are other modalities other than X-ray and some of the most common ones include computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and PET scans. Each are unique and play a crucial role in diagnostic imaging. CT can create… Read more

At my clinical site, Jefferson uses the Philips brand for their X-ray tube. On it at the top left corner, there is a horse shoe that will light up whenever it is ready to take the exposure. Now what happens when your machine starts acting up? The first place that I go to is that… Read more

It is important that a radiology technologist takes steps before starting the exam to prep the patient. Prepping the patient is a step that will ensure the success of the procedures and enable the procedures to continue without having to halt or stop. This will decrease time spent on a procedure and increase efficiency. Prepping… Read more

Patient positioning is one of the most important things that separates a good technologist from a bad technologist. It is inevitable that a radiology technologist will get a patient that is unable to preform the different positions perfectly; however, it is our duty to ensure that the best positions possible are taken. This is important… Read more

One of the first things that affects an image exposure is attenuation. Attenuation is the concept of X-ray beams being absorbed completely and not making it to the image receptor. Attenuation can cause an image to not get the proper exposure that it needs in order to get a proper image display. One way to… Read more

Size and shape distortion can be created through a variety of different techniques. If you as a radiology technologist are not careful, you can create a visual of something that might not be true about a patient. For example, if you are not careful, an improper SID can create size distortion. This can be seen… Read more

Spatial resolution is the measurement of the smallest object that can be resolved by the sensor. It is also the level of resolution within an image. There are several aspects that can affect the level of spatial resolution of an image. The first one is the focal spot size, because when you increase the focal… Read more

The differences between short scale and long scale contrasts can be defined by the amount of different levels of gray. Long scale contrasts have more variety in their shades of gray, where as short scale contrast has more white and black and minimal shades of gray. When imaging a patient, the higher kVp you use,… Read more

There are three basic factors that you need in order to produce an X-ray. These are done through the actions of the anode, which is the positive side of the X-ray tube and the cathode which is the negative side of the X-ray tube. The first factor that you need is a source of electrons.… Read more

Has the hospital left you with the responsibility of being the only X-ray technologist on call with hundreds of patients to help? Me too… Hi, I am Dr. Bob and I am here to help you cope. I have the the understanding that you are in some trouble and are going to have a rough… Read more

Electronic Potential (Volts), Current (Amperes), and Resistance (Ohms) are what define ohms law. Ohms law is the foundation for all electronics because it is the relationship between the three fundamentals of electrical energy. Electronic potential is the ability to create a charge because of the fact that there is a separation of charges. Electronic potential… Read more

There are two ways that X-rays are produced. The first way is when the electrons that are boiled off strike an electron on the anode and create an X-ray photon; this is called a characteristic X-ray. The second is when the electrons miss an electron on the anode and come close the nucleus and lose… Read more

The inverse square law is a law that relates the intensity with respect to the distance of the radiation source. The easy way to think about it is that every time you double the distance from the radiation source, you have to decrease the intensity of radiation by 1/4th. The formula for the inverse square… Read more

There are three parts to an atom. Each have their own unique properties and traits that make them different from one another. An atom consists of two parts, the nucleus and the orbital shell. The nucleus consists of protons and neutrons that are closely packed together. The protons are positively charged particles that keep the… Read more

In simple terms, a voltage ripple is the the amount of space that the peak of a wave takes to come into contact with another wave. This is important when having to figure out how much down time there is between each wave of energy. There are several different types of different wave rectifications. The… Read more

In the blue corner, fighting for High Energy is JASON the man STATHAMMMMMMMMMM… In the red corner, fighting for the pride of Low Energy is STEVEN the strong URKELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL… Both fighters are in peak performance and neither side is willing to waver. They are both willing to throw their lives away for the sake of… Read more

The bartender looks up and says, “Hey, is this some kind of joke?” Energy and frequency are proportional. Wavelength is inversely proportional to energy and frequency. When energy increases, wavelength decreases. When when frequency decreases, wavelength increases. A fun way to remember the relationship between energy, wavelength, and frequency is by giving each of them… Read more

The electromagnetic scale plays an important role in radiology because radiation has an electromagnetic frequency. Electromagnetic radiation is an electric and magnetic disturbance traveling through space. X-rays share this spectrum with other electromagnetic energies such as radio waves, microwaves, and light waves. Each of these energies operate on different ends of the spectrum. One thing… Read more