Contents
This edition first published 2012
© 2002 by Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd
© 2012 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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First published 2002
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Easton, Suzanne.
Practical veterinary diagnostic imaging / Suzanne Easton. – 2nd ed.
p. ; cm.
Rev. ed. of: Practical radiography for veterinary nurses / Suzanne Easton. 2002.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-65648-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Veterinary radiography.
2. Veterinary diagnostic imaging. I. Easton, Suzanne. Practical radiography for veterinary nurses. II. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Radiography--veterinary. SF 757.8]
SF757.8.E38 2012
636.089′607572–dc23
2012010602
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.
Cover image: iStockphoto.com
Cover design by Steve Thompson
Figure Acknowledgements
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Aspinall, V. (2010) Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing, 2nd edn. Oxford: Elsevier.
, and
Bushong, S.C. (2004) Radiological Science for Technologies: Physics, Biology and Protection, 8th edn. St Louis: Mosby.
, , , and
Carter, P. (2007) Imaging Science. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
, , , , , , , , , , , and
Easton, S. (2010) An Introduction to Radiography. Oxford: Churchill Livingstone.
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , and
Fauber, T. (2004) Radiographic Imaging and Exposure, 2nd edn. St Louis: Mosby.
, and
Graham, D., Cloke, P., Vosper, M. (2007) Principles of Radiological Physics, 5th edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
, , , , and
Han, C., Hurd, C. (2005) Practical Diagnostic Imaging for the Veterinary Technician, 3rd edn. St Louis: Mosby.
, , , , , , , and
Lavin, L. (2007) Radiography in Veterinary Technology, 4th edn. St Louis: Mosby.
, , , and
Mendenhall, A., Cantwell, H.D. (1988) Equine Radiographic Procedures. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger.
, , , , and
Thrall, D. (2002) Textbook of Veterinary Diagnostic Radiology, 4th edn. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
, , and
Patel, P.R. (1997) Lecture Notes on Radiology. Oxford: Blackwell Science.
, and
Xograph Healthcare Ltd. and Cave Veterinary Specialists.
Chapter 1
Essential Mathematics and Physics
Introduction
This chapter introduces and explores the principles of mathematics and physics that will make following chapters and the principles of radiography easier to understand. Although many of the concepts introduced in this chapter are only for revision, they are relevant to later chapters.
Matter, energy, power and heat
Matter
The entire world is made up of matter. Anything that occupies space can be termed ‘matter’. Matter is a collection of atoms, the basic building blocks. All matter has mass, that is, the measure of matter in an actual object. If gravity is involved, this mass is known as the weight of an object. If an object is placed in a lesser gravitational field, such as the atmosphere on the moon, the mass will remain the same, but the weight will decrease. The weight will also change if the object changes form, but, again, the mass will remain the same. An example of this is water in its three forms – solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (steam). In these three forms, the mass is the same throughout, but the weight changes considerably.
| Matter | A collection of atoms and molecules |
| Mass | The measure of matter in an object |
| Weight | Mass under the influence of gravity |
Energy
The process of matter altering its state or form produces energy. Any object, however large or small, that is able to do ‘work’ is said to have energy. Energy has a number of different forms. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, although it can change from one form to another ().
Energy types, definitions and examples.
| Energy type | Description | Example |
| Potential | The amount of work an object could do because of its position | An axe raised, ready to be brought down to chop, has potential energy |
| Kinetic | As an object leaves its state of potential energy, it gains kinetic energy | An apple gains kinetic energy as it falls out of a tree |
| Electrical | The movement of electrons inside a conductor after the application of a potential difference | The movement of electrons in a cable produces the electrical energy needed to make a bulb light up |
| Nuclear | Nuclear energy is the energy stored within the nucleus of an atom | This energy is formed when the nucleus of an atom is split |
| Thermal | The energy of a hot object. This is caused by the vibration of molecules within matter | A hot bath has faster moving molecules than a cool bath |
| Sound | The energy produced by sound vibrations | A musical instrument, engine noise, speech, thunder, diagnostic ultrasound, sonar |
| Chemical | The energy generated when a reaction occurs between two substances | Thermal energy produced when water is added to hot oil |
| Electromagnetic | Electric and magnetic energy moving in waves | X-ray production, radio waves, infrared light |
Energy conversion
As energy cannot be created or destroyed, it changes form, and this process is known as energy conversion.
In radiography, the X-ray tube is an example where energy is converted from one form (electrical) into other forms (X-rays, heat, light). We also use ultrasound where an ultrasound transducer converts electrical energy into sound energy, and the reflected sound energy is converted back into electrical energy.
Power
Power is the rate of doing work or the rate of transforming energy. This is measured in joules per second or watts. In radiography, due to the amount of energy transformation occurring, power is measured in thousands of watts or kilowatts (kW). A typical X-ray room will have a 50-kW generator to supply electric power to the X-ray equipment.
Heat
Heat is the total energy of atoms and molecules moving in matter. The average speed of movement is known as temperature. Heat always flows from hot to cold until an equilibrium is reached. This movement can occur through three different methods – convection, conduction and radiation (). The rate of heat loss or transfer will depend on the type of surface material and the difference between the two areas of heat. This is utilised in an X-ray tube through the choice of material used for the anode and the colour of the tube head (black).
Definitions of conduction, convection and radiation.
| Convection | This occurs in liquids and gases. The matter moves, taking the heat with it. This occurs because of the reduction in density associated with heating. Hotter material rises and displaces cooler material above. This is the principle behind surrounding an X-ray tube in oil as a cooling technique. |
| Conduction | This is found in metals. The heat is transferred through contact, with heat flowing from the hot area to the cooler area. This principle is used in the anode and stem of the X-ray tube. |
| Radiation | Vibrating molecules on the surface of matter generate electromagnetic waves. Energy in the form of heat leaves the surface and transfers the energy to whatever it strikes. This is most effective in a vacuum. |
Units and prefixes used in radiography
The use of scientific terminology in radiography is based on standardised units and prefixes to abbreviate large or very small numbers. It also provides an international language amongst radiographers. The use of standardised units extends to the description of units of measure and the identification of units of ionising radiation.
Standard scientific notation
Radiography uses both very large units and very small units. Examples of this are the 100,000 volts necessary to radiograph a chest and the 0.004 amperes (amps) needed to demonstrate a cat's carpus. These are two of the core units used in radiography and are described as kilovolts (kV) and milliamperes (mA). Using this notation, 100,000 volts is described as 100 kV and 0.004 amperes as 4 mA. Where large numbers are used, the numbers can also be described as exponents. Exponents describe numbers as multiples of ten (the system most widely used in everyday life is the decimal system; see ).
Standard scientific notation, prefixes and symbols.
SI base units
In order to maintain a common radiographic language, the units used as a baseline for measurements and discussions need to be standardised. Radiography uses the International System of Units or `SI'. Problems would occur if the focus-to-film distance was given in metres on the practice exposure chart and the veterinary nurse carrying out examinations worked in inches. The base units in are the units used to calculate more complicated measures such as speed (m s−1) or force (kg m s−2). There are seven base units from which all other units are derived.
SI units used in radiography.
Radiological units.
| Unit | Description | Symbol |
| kVp | Maximum energy of X-ray photons | kVp |
| mA (mAs) | Electron production in the X-ray tube | mA |
| keV | Kinetic energy of electrons in X-ray tube | keV |
| Heat unit | Heat produced at anode (kVp × mAs) | HU |
| Gray | Dose absorbed by a medium | Gy |
| Sievert | Dose equivalent | Sv |
| Coulomb/kilogram | Measure of atmospheric exposure | C/kg |
| Becquerel | Radioactive disintegrations per second | Bq |
Radiological units
Radiology has a number of units specific to the field that are in common use (see ). These are all related to the measurement of the production of X-rays and the effect of the energy produced, and used in diagnostic imaging. The units are mainly used in assessing and maintaining radiation safety or when discussing the use of the X-ray tube.
kVp
The potential difference between the cathode and anode in an X-ray tube is measured in kilovolts. This value determines the maximum energy of the X-ray photons emitted that will give the quality and intensity of the beam. In many machines, this value may fluctuate and so the peak value is given (kVp).
mA/mAs
In the production of X-rays, fast-moving electrons must strike the anode within the X-ray tube. To produce these electrons, an electrical current must be applied to the cathode. This is measured in milliamperes (mA). These electrons could be produced continuously, but this would cause damage to the tube and so the production of electrons is limited to a period of time (exposure time). The exposure time is expressed in mAs or milliamperes per second.
keV
As an electron is accelerated across the tube from the cathode to the anode, it gains kinetic energy. This is measured in keV. The keV will be the same as the kVp.
Heat units
The production of X-rays produces heat at the anode. The amount of heat is specific to each exposure and can be calculated by multiplying kVp and mAs together. This is correct only if the voltage and current remain constant throughout the exposure.
Absorbed dose
The dose absorbed by the patient is measured in gray (Gy). This is specific to the patient dose received and will vary according to the exposure used and the region being examined. The absorbed dose is the measurement of the energy absorbed by a medium.
Dose equivalent
The dose received by designated people working with radiation (dose equivalent) is measured in sieverts (Sv). This measurement is calculated by multiplying the grays received by a quality factor. The quality factor will take into account the different levels of damage caused by radiation and will alter depending on the type of ionising radiations and the energy of the ionising radiation. The dose equivalent is calculated from monitoring devices worn by personnel working with radiation.
Exposure in air
The amount of radiation in the atmosphere can be measured in coulomb/kilogram (C/kg). This measure of radiation can only be used for air and for X-rays or gamma rays within this air. The measure gives the total electric charge formed by ionisation in air. This can be used for X-rays emerging from the tube or the intensity of gamma rays during a scintigraphic examination.
Activity
The final radiographic unit is the becquerel (Bq). Radioactive substances have unstable nuclei and try to change the structure of the nucleus to a more stable form. Each change in structure is called disintegration. The becquerel measures the number of changes per second.
Useful mathematics
Day-to-day radiography involves mathematics. This may be simple addition or multiplication, but can also involve fractions and ratios. As a simple `aide memoir', this section demonstrates the basic mathematics essential to radiography in , where a and b denote any number and x is any number that you wish to calculate.
Useful mathematics.
| Description | How to do it |
| Percentage change | 100 × (b − a /a) |
| Percentage of b compared to a | 100b/a |
| x% of a | (x/100) × a |
| Parts of a fraction | 
|
| Adding and subtracting fractions | Find a common denominator and then add or subtract the numerators |
| Multiplying fractions | Multiply numerators and denominators |
| Dividing fractions | Turn the second fraction upside down and then multiply |
| Ratio | Demonstrates the relationship between two related measures
kV : X-rays produced |
| Decimal | A fraction that has a denominator that can be divided by ten can be shown as a decimal:
5/10 = 0.5 |
| To calculate x when a and b are known: divide both known numbers by the multiple of x | 
|
| When a known number is added to x: subtract the known number from both sides | 
|
| When x is part of a fraction: cross multiply | 
|
| Cross multiplication |  |
Proportions and the inverse square law
Proportions
Measurements can be either directly or indirectly proportional. If two measurements are directly proportional, the ratio of one to the other is constant:
If something is described as being inversely proportional, the factors will be inverted. As one factor increases, the other will decrease, or vice versa:
Inverse square law
The intensity of radiation from a given point is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between that point and the source. This means that the greater the distance between the two points, the weaker the intensity. This plays an important role in radiation safety. The greater the distance between you and the source of radiation, the lower the dose you will receive:
The effect distance has on the exposure is determined by the inverse square law. As the distance of the object from the source increases, the intensity of the radiation will decrease. If you double the distance, the exposure intensity decreases by 4. This can be seen in a similar way using a torch beam. The closer the wall is to the torch beam, the stronger the intensity of the beam against the wall. As you move away from the wall, the beam will be weaker when it hits the wall ().
The inverse square law.
