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Biomedical subjects

M P Siedband

Publications and source records attributed to M P Siedband.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1981

Purchasing dilemma: replace or refurbish.

X-ray systems reach a point when they no longer function properly, and a decision must be made as to whether to repair, replace or refurbish. Factors influencing this decision are the condition and performance of the system and its relationship to other apparatus in the department. Improvements in performance are often possible through the use of better tubes, collimators, generators, intensifiers and other major components. Consideration may also be given to applying newer technologies in digital imaging and beam filtration.

Hospital Departments↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Test cassette for measuring peak tube potential of diagnostic x-ray machines.

A test cassette employing a modification of the Ardran-Crooks attenuation technique for measuring peak tube potential (and half-value layer) is described. The technique employs a radiographic intensifying screen which is exposed to a hardened x-ray beam. Copper penetrameters are used to determine the attenuator thickness which reduces the light output from the screen to that transmitted by an optical attenuator over an adjacent area of the screen. The test cassette was calibrated by using x-ray machines whose high voltages were measured electrically. The test cassette has a measurement precision of +/- 1 kVp and an accuracy of +/- 3 kVp or better in the range 50-130 kVp for x-ray generators with the same voltage waveform.

Quality Control↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Optimal x-ray spectra for screen-film mammography.

Theoretical and experimental techniques have been used to study optimal x-ray for screen-film mammography. A simple model of mammographic imaging predicts optimum x-ray energies which are significantly higher than the K-characteristic energies of Mo. A subjective comparison of x-ray spectra from Mo-anode and W-anode tubes indicates that spectra produced by a W-anode tube filtered with materials of atomic number just above that of Mo are more suitable for screen-film mammography than spectra produced by the Mo-anode/Mo-filter system. The imaging performance of K-edge filtered, W-anode tube spectra was compared to the performance of Mo-anode spectra using phantom measurements and mastectomy specimen radiography. It was shown that optimal W-anode spectra can produce equal contrast with an exposure reduction of a factor of two to three, a dose reduction of a factor of two, and equal or reducing tube loading, compared to Mo-anode spectra. A computer simulation was carried out to extend the initial, monoenergetic theory to the case of real, polychromatic sources. The effects of varying filter material and thickness, tube operating potential, and breast thickness were all studied. Since W-anode x-ray tubes are considered to be better for Xerox mammography than Mo-anode tubes, this study has shown that both Xerox and screen-film techniques can be performed optimally with a single, properly designed, W-anode x-ray tube.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Flywheel energy storage for x-ray machines.

X-ray image quality for stop-motion exposures is greatly affected by the system power capability. High power levels are required for adequate resolution, which often precludes the use of mobile x-ray systems for stop-motion exposures. Currently available mobile systems use (1) 90-V nickel-cadmium batteries capable of 120 A, (2) a power line of 220 V ac, 60 Hz capable of about 100 A, or (3) a capacitor discharge unit using 1.0-microF capacitors and limited to 17-mAs equivalent output (compared to three-phase systems at 100 kVp). In each case, instantaneous power is usually limited to 10 kW. An alternative means which now appears to be a practical power source for mobile x-ray systems is the flywheel energy storage system. A 5-kg flywheel has been constructed which runs at 10 000 rpm and stores 25 000 J while drawing only a few hundred watts to bring the system up to speed. When coupled to an aircraft alternator, pulsed power levels of 25 kW have been achieved. The aircraft alternator also has the advantage of high-frequency output which has permitted the use of smaller high-voltage transformers. This system permits the generation of powerful x rays using low-power sources, such as single automobile batteries, common 115-V outlets, or electrical sources of poor regulation such as found in Third World countries.

Energy-Generating Resources↗