Terms and Definitions

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• Angiography: Visualization of the blood vessels through the use of X-ray after injecting dye (contrast material) into the bloodstream. Used as a tool to diagnose many diseases affecting the arteries and veins, including inflammatory diseases.

• Angioscopy: Visualization of the interior of blood vessels through the use of miniature video camera on the end of a catheter.

• ANODE: The positive end of the x-ray tubes internal components, which is usually spinning, also refereed to as the target.

• AUTOTRANSFORMER: A transformer in which the primary and secondary coils have all or part of their turns in common.

• Bariatric: Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.[1] The term bariatrics was created around 1965,[2] from the Greek root baro ("weight," as in barometer) and suffix -iatrics ("a branch of medicine," as in pediatrics). Besides the pharmacotherapy of obesity, it is concerned with obesity surgery.

• BUCKY: A device that shifts the x-ray grid during an exposure so as not to image grid lines.

• Cardiac Catheterization: An invasive imaging procedure that involves inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in the arm or leg, and guiding it to your heart with the aid of a special x-ray machine. Contrast dye is injected through the catheter so that x-ray movies of your valves, coronary arteries and heart chambers are taken. Cardiac catheterization is also called coronary angiography.

• C-arm: C-arm X-ray generators for fluoroscopy and spot films.

• Cath Lab: The specialized radiologic suite where cardiac catheterization is performed.

• CATHODE: The negative end of an x-ray tubes internal components, where the filament is contained.

• COLLIMATOR: A device used to produce the desired size of the x-ray field.

• Computed Radiography (CR): Computed Radiography refers to the device and technique used to capture and process X-rays stored on a photostimulable phosphor plate. The phosphor used in Computed Radiography Imaging Plates have the quality of being phosphorescent which means they can store X-ray energy and then later emit it as light. In this particular case the phosphors luminesce (emit light) when stimulated by the scanning laser light of the Computed Radiography reader. The emitted light is captured and converted to an electrical signal by an incorporated photomultiplier tube. The electrical signals are digitized and stored as a digital X-ray image.

• DENSITOMETER: An instrument for determining the optical density of a radiograph.

• DICOM: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a comprehensive set of standards governing how medical images are captured, stored and transmitted. It includes a file format definition and a network communications protocol. This protocol is an application protocol, it uses TCP/IP to communicate between systems. DICOM files can be exchanged between two entities that have the capability to receive the information: image and patient data: in DICOM format.

• Direct Radiography : Direct Digital Radiography (DR) utilizes a scintillator and photomultiplier to capture X-rays digitally at the time of exposure for display on the computer screen.

• Dry Imager / Medical Imager / Film Printer : These devices allow printing directly to film that is virtually identical to X-ray film. The only advantage traditional X-ray films have over Medical Imagers is a depth to the image because of the layering of film emulsion whereas medical imagers print to the surface of the film.

• ELECTRON VOLT: A unit of energy equal to the energy gained by an electron in passing from a point of low potential to a point one volt higher in potential.

• EMR: Electronic Medical Records. Software associated with the management of the digital equivalent of a patients medical records.

• EMULSION: The photo-sensitive coating (consisting of silver halide) of x-ray film.

• Endoscopy: A collective name for all visual inspections of body cavities using tiny video camera housed in an illuminated flexible tube.

• ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (en-do-SKAH-pik RET-ro-grade ko-LAN-jee-o-PAN-kree-a-TAW-gra-fee). A procedure to x-ray the bile and pancreatic ducts. In this procedure, a thin, lighted tube (endoscope) is passed through the mouth and down into the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). A smaller tube (catheter) is then inserted through the endoscope into the bile and pancreatic ducts. A dye is injected through the catheter into the ducts, and an x-ray is taken.

• FILAMENT: The device located at the cathode end of the x-ray tube that is responsible for producing the focal spot.

• Film Scanner: A film scanner is a certified medical device for creating high-resolution, high-fidelity digital images of x-ray films.

• FILTRATION: The process of increasing the mean energy of polychromatic radiation.

• Fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is a type of medical imaging that shows a continuous x-ray image on a monitor, much like an x-ray movie. It is used to diagnose or treat patients by displaying the movement of a body part or of an instrument or dye (contrast agent) through the body.
During a fluoroscopy procedure, an x-ray beam is passed through the body then strikes a scintillator (a screen coated with rare earth minerals) which emits photons in proportion to the energy of the incoming X-rays. The photons are detected and intensified by an Image Intensifyer (II) and finally detected by a CCD video camera. The camera transmits the moving image to a monitor so that the body part and its motion can be seen in detail.

• FOCUSING CUP: The structure where the filament is located, generally made from molybdenum.

• FORCED EXTINCTION: A method of terminating an exposure of a single phase x-ray generator regardless of where the incoming cycle is.

• GRID: A device used to reduce the amount of scatter radiation to a radiograph.

• HALF-VALUE LAYER: The amount of Aluminum that is needed to reduce the x-ray beams intensity by one half. Used in expressing the quality of a x-ray beam.

• HEAT UNITS: The unit of measurement used to determine the maximum heat loading potential of a x-ray tube.

• HEEL EFFECT: A variation of x-ray intensity in the x-ray tubes output caused by the orientation of components in the tube. The anode side will produce less intensity than the cathode side.

• High Frequency Generator: A High Frequency X-ray Generator is an x-ray system that changes the operating frequency from line rectified (typically 120 hertz) to high frequency (typically 16-20 kilohertz.) This provides a higher efficiency applied x-ray and reduces patient dose by approximately 10%. This reduction is dose is achieved by eliminating inefficient levels of radiation.

• HIGH SPEED STARTER: A device used to accelerate the x-ray tube anode from a stop to 10800 R.P.M.

• HIS: Hospital information system. A system that provides the information management features that hospitals need for daily business. Typically includes patient tracking, billing and administrative programs and also may include clinical features.

• Hospital Grade System: "Post a request for the definition."

• IHE: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise Initiative (IHE Initiative). IHE is an initiative by healthcare professionals and industry to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. IHE promotes the coordinated use of established standards such as DICOM and HL7 to address specific clinical needs in support of optimal patient care.

• INTENSIFYING SCREENS: Devices that are placed against the film to provide for converting few x-rays photons inio many light photons.

• LANMIT: LANMIT 4(Large Area New-MIS sensor and TFT)

• Line Frequency Generator: A Line Frequency X-ray Generator is a line rectified x-ray system with an operating frequency of 120 hertz.

• mAs: A Product of the tube current times the exposure time.

• Medical Display: Medical Displays are manufactured to industry specific standards. These standards prescribe characteristics such as luminosity, pixel density, ventilation/ air circulation requirements and/ or restrictions and DICOM sensors/ monitoring to prove the display(s) meet set standards in real time.

• Medical Billing: the process of submitting and following up on claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for services rendered.

• MIS Sensor: Solid-state metal-insulator-semiconductor

• MOLYBDENUM: A metallic element used in x-ray tubes because of its efficiency in producing x-ray photons.

• OBJECT TO IMAGE DISTANCE: The measurement used to define the distance from the object that is being radiographed to the film.

• OCS: Order Communications System. One of the initial components of a hospital information system, such as requests for blood tests to be performed by a laboratory, or medications to be dispensed by the pharmacy.

• Orthopedic X-ray System: "Post a request for the definition."

• PACS: PACS is the acronym for Picture Archiving and Communications System. A PACS solution acts as a central storage hub for all data received from DICOM compliant medical imaging devices within a given network. A PACS solution also acts as the central distribution gateway for delivering medical imaging studies to the appropriate user and workstation.

• PENUMBRA: The term used to describe the unsharp areas at edges of an object on a radiograph.

• PHOTOTIMER: A device used to control the exposure of a x-ray generator to produce consistent densities from radiograph to radiograph.

• Podiatry X-ray System: "Post a request for the definition."

• Portable X-ray Generator: An X-ray generator that is generally mobile, usually with battery powered electric motors for mobility. Portable X-ray generators like the GE AMX4 have a bank of batteries that provide electrical output to the High Voltage transformer power supply of the X-ray tube. This feature frees the X-ray generator from being plugged into a power outlet at the time of X-ray exposure.
• QUANTUM MOTTLE: The "patchy" pattern that can appear on a radiograph caused by an ununiform intensity of the x-ray beam and intensifying screen materials.

• Radiography: the creation of radiographs, photographs made by exposing a photographic film or other image receptor to X-rays. Since X-rays penetrate solid objects, but are slightly attenuated by them, the picture resulting from the exposure reveals the internal structure of the object. The most common use of radiography is in the medical field (where it is known as medical imaging), but veterinarians and engineers also use radiography.

• RADIOLUCENT: The ability of an object to not absorb x-rav photons when being placed in the x-ray beam path.

• RECEPTOR: The device in which the x-ray beam is projected onto after first penetrating the object that is to be examined.

• RECIPROCITY FAILURE: The inability to produce radiographs with the same density, given the same mAs, but different exposure times.

• RESOLVING POWER: The ability of an optical system to form distinguishable images of objects separated by small angular distances.

• RIS: Radiology Information System is used by radiology departments to store, manipulate and distribute patient radiological data and imagery. The system generally comprises of patient tracking and scheduling, result reporting and image tracking capabilities.

• SENSITOMETER: A device used to place a calibrated gray scale on a piece of x-ray film to determine film/processor reproducibility.

• SOURCE TO IMAGE DISTANCE: The measurement used to define the distance between the focal spot and the film.

• SPACE CHARGE EFFECT: A condition that occurs in x-ray tubes that produces a nonlinear output from the filament supply when increasing the voltage linearly.

• TUNGSTEN: A high-melting metallic element used in x-ray tubes because of the efficiency of x-ray photons it produces.

• Veterinary X-ray System: An X ray system designed to image non-human animals.