MAMMOGRAPHIC

IMAGING SYSTEM
 Features of a Dedicated
Mammography System for Use with
Screen Film
High-Voltage Generation
• high frequency generator
• single-phase input, which is rectified and capacitor-
smoothed to produce a direct current (DC) voltage
waveform
• 600 mAs is standard for preventing excessive
patient radiation dose.
Target Composition
• tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), or rhodium (Rh)
• 17 to 24 keV- useful for enhancing differential
absorption in breast tissue and for maximizing
radiographic contrast
Focal Spot Size
• spatial resolution
• Imaging of microcalcifications requires small focal
spots
• the smaller the better; however, the shape of the
focal spot is also important (circular and
rectangular)
• To obtain such small focal-spot size and adequate x-
ray intensity over the entire breast, manufacturers
take advantage of the line-focus principle and tilt
the x-ray tube
Filtration
• dedicated mammography x-ray tubes have either a
beryllium (Z = 4) window or a very thin borosilicate
glass window
• Most mammography x-ray tubes have inherent
filtration in the window of approximately 0.1 mm Al
equivalent.
• Many x-ray tubes designed specifically for
mammography have a stationary anode. Bi-angle
and double track anodes (one track is Mo and the
other Rh) are rotating anode tubes
HEEL EFFECT
• The conic shape of the breast requires that the
radiation intensity near the chest wall must be
higher than that to the nipple side to ensure near-
uniform exposure of the image receptor
• This is accomplished by positioning the cathode to
the chest wall. However, this is not absolutely
necessary because compression ensures imaging of
a uniform thickness of tissue.
 COMPRESSION
• more uniform thickness, therefore, the response of the image
receptor is more uniform.
• Tissues near the chest wall are less likely to be underexposed,
and tissues near the nipple are less likely to be overexposed.
• tissue is brought closer to the image receptor, and focal-spot
blur is reduced. Compression also reduces absorption blur and
scatter radiation.
• Compression results in thinner tissue and therefore less scatter
radiation and improved contrast resolution. The overall result of
this improved image quality is improved ability to detect small,
low-contrast lesions and high-contrast microcalcifications
because of improved spatial resolution.
• compression results in a lower patient radiation dose.
GRID
• moving grid with a ratio of 4:1 to 5:1 focused to the
SID to increase image contrast. Grid frequencies of
40 lines/cm for the moving grid are typical.
• high-transmission cellular (HTC) grid-has the clean-
up characteristics of a crossed grid in that it
reduces scatter radiation in two directions rather
than the single direction of a parallel grid. The HTC
grid has copper as grid strip material and air for the
interspace, and its physical dimensions result in a
3.8:1 grid ratio.
AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE CONTROL
• AEC, also called a phototimer, is a device that uses a
radiation sensor, an amplifier and .a voltage
comparator to control the exposure.
• It is a device that automatically calculates the exposure
time that is required to produce optimum density on
the film.
• When the required optimum density is produced, the
AEC terminate the exposure and hence reduces the
dose that may have increased with manual selection of
exposure factor and exposure time.
• located underneath the cassette in mammography
unlike conventional radiography.
 MAGNIFICATION MAMMOGRAPHY
• images up to twice the normal size
• Effective focal-spot size should not exceed
0.1 mm
• PURPOSE: investigate small, suspicious
lesions or micro calcifications seen on
standard mammograms
SCREEN FILM MAMMOGRAPHY
• Four types of image receptors have been used for
x-ray mammography:
1. direct-exposure film
2. xeroradiography
3. screen film
4. digital detectors
films - single-emulsion and are matched with a single back screen

Tabular grain emulsion has been replaced by cubic grain emulsion in most
films