Throughout your life journey, you must have got in touch with an X-ray somehow.
You may know what X-ray does and might have learned about how it works in your high school books.
But, I can bet you don’t know about the accessories of an X-ray machine.
If you’re a physician, assistant, hospital owner or enthusiastic about opening a hospital business, you definitely should know about X-ray accessories.
Let’s learn them.
What are X-ray accessories?
An X-ray machine is a device that uses electromagnetic radiation to produce images of the inside of an object. It is commonly used in the medical field to diagnose injuries and illnesses.
X-ray equipment is made up of several components that help produce the image.
X-ray tubes are usually mounted in metal frames that support the x-ray emitter and detectors. X-ray radiation is emitted from the emitter and absorbed by the target, generally placed on a separate table.
Why Are X-ray Accessories Used?
X-ray accessories are devices that help improve the quality and accuracy of x-rays. They include x-ray films, film processors, and intensifying screens. X-ray films are used to capture images of the x-ray beam.
Film processors develop and fix the x-ray film. The screen, or film holder, is the part of the x-ray apparatus that holds the film.
The intensity of the x-ray beam is controlled by adjusting the size and thickness of the screen, which allows for an image of varying density depending on the size of the object being imaged.
What are film holders? Film holders are used to holding the x-ray film and control the intensity of the x-ray beam that passes through the film.
The most common types of film holders include:
Single-Lens Holder (SLH)
This holder has one lens on the front and one lens on the back. The front lens focuses the x-ray beam onto the film, and the back lens collects the x-ray energy emitted from the film and focuses it onto the film’s emulsion.
SLHs are generally used for portable devices, and they are also known as hand-held x-ray imagers.
Paper Holders
This type of holder comprises sheets of paper held together by an elastic band that has the sheets in place. X-rays are a form of radiation, which means they can penetrate materials.
What are the functions of paper holders? Paper holders are used to holding the x-ray film and control the intensity of the x-ray beam that passes through the film.
Chest Holders
The x-ray technician or radiologist uses chest holders to hold the x-ray film to the patient and control the intensity of the x-ray beam passing through the patient. The chest holder can be portable or fixed.
Portable chest holders are used to perform portable chest x-rays on the patient, and it is also referred to as a hand-held x-ray imager. Fixed chest holders are chest holders used to perform chest x-rays on patients in an examination room, and it is also referred to as a table x-ray unit.
List of all the X-ray accessories
This is a list of all the available X-ray accessories. Some of these accessories are required to use an X-ray machine, while others are optional.
- Apron Racks
- Calipers
- Catheter Cabinets
- CD/DVD Burners
- Compression Devices
- Filtration Systems
- Lead Letters
- Markers
- Positioning Blocks
- Restraints
- Sand Bags
- Stools
- Eye protection (safety glasses or safety face shield)
- Goggles
- X-ray heads
Dark Room Equipment:
- Cassette Transfer Cabinets
- Duplicators
- Film Bins
- Film Carrying Cases
- Film Processors
- ID Printers
- Safelights
Where to Buy X-Ray Accessories?
There are many places to buy X-ray accessories. You can buy them from medical supply stores or buy them online.
The most popular online retail sites for radiation protection X-ray accessories are Amazon. You can also purchase from Barrier Technologies, browse through their products.
Conclusion
That was all about the list of X-ray accessories. Throughout the article, I tried to illustrate what accessories are, why they are used, a list of the accessories and where to get them.
Comment below if you got any unanswered questions. I would be more than happy to answer those.