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Interaction X-rays / object

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Basic concept of radiography

• X-rays are emitted from a source toward (part of) the object
to be imaged

• Depending upon the characteristics of the parts of the

object met on their path through the object, the X- rays
– will pass through undeviated, but may be attenuated
– or will be scattered by (parts of) the object

passing through, little attenuation

passing through, heavy attenuation

scattered ray
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Basic concept of radiography

• What gets through the object in an undeviated way, and

eventually is directed to the recording device, will form the
intended image

• Scattered radiation
– creates non representative image information
– and therefore should be controled to avoid such non useful image
information appearing on the film

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Interactions in the object

• Basically two types of interactions between the incoming X-

rays and the object need to be considered.
– the photoelectric effect
– the compton effect

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Photoelectric effect

• Occurs when an incoming X-ray encounters an electron from the inner

shell
– the electron is ejected, using most of the incoming X-ray energy
– an electron from an outer shell fills the hole
• a low energy X-ray is emitted
• the low energy X-ray will quickly be absorbed in the surrounding matter

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Photoelectric effect

X-ray
photoelectron

low energy X-ray,

absorbed quickly
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Photoelectric effect

• Wanted and of major importance in radiography

– results in complete attenuation of the incoming X-ray
– responsible for most of the contrast in radiology

• But … the patient’s exposure is high as all the energy of the

incoming photon is absorbed by the patient !

• Occurs more often

– with low energy X-rays
– materials with high atomic number

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Compton effect

• Occurs when an incoming x-ray encounters an electron

from an outer shell (with little binding energy)
– the electron is ejected
– the remaining X-ray energy is emitted again as X-ray
• in a direction different from the direction in which the X-ray
entered the object
• with only slightly less energy

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Compton effect

photoelectron

scattered X-ray

X-ray

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Compton effect

• The compton effect is unwanted in radiography as it results in

– scattered radiation
– loss of contrast

• The Compton effect is more likely with higher energy X-rays,

i.e. with high kV settings.

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Attenuation of non-deviated X-rays

• How much of the incoming X-rays is absorbed by the object (in

general) depends upon
– the physical density of the (distinctive parts of the) object
– the atomic number of the parts met
– the thickness of the object

E.g. the thicker the body through which the X-rays must pass,
the more the X-rays will be attenuated.

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Attenuation of non-deviated X-rays

• The attenuation of non-deviated X-rays in the human body

– In general radiographic imaging, there are basically 5 perceivable
object densities
– These perceivable densities are, sorted in increasing attenuation of
X-rays
• air
• fat
• water, organs and tissue (soft tissue, blood) (*) (**)
• bone
• metal

(*) The density of an organ can be changed by administering

radio-contrast agents
(**) Density varies depending upon organ: e.g. heart > lungs

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The HVL (Half Value Layer)

• The HVL is defined in order to be able to compare materials

and objects for what concerns their attenuation capabilities.

• The Half Value Layer is defined as

the thickness of the material required to reduce, under
narrow beam geometry, the intensity of an incoming X-ray
beam to half of its value before entering the material

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The HVL (Half Value Layer)

• Narrow beam geometry / HVL test set-up

collimator
attenuator

detector

X-ray source

scattered photons are

not detected

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The HVL (Half Value Layer)

• The HVL value for a material is dependent on the energy of the

photons (i.e. the kV value of the source)

• Some HVL values (in mm)

Tissue Al Pb
70 keV X-rays 37 11 0,2
140 keV X-rays 44 18 0,3

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Interactions X-rays/object: a summary

Basic concept of radiography

Interaction X-rays/object

Interactions in the object

Photoelectric effect
Attenuation of
non-deviated X-rays Half Value
Layer

Compton effect

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