How Does an X ray Machine Work?

Components

An X-ray machine is made up of a variety of different components. The main parts is a X-ray tube, a long cylinder that's pointed at the part of a patient's body that's going to be X-rayed. Inside this cylinder is an anode, which releases electrons, and a cathode, which absorbs the current of electrons from the anode. The cathode in this case is a circle that's made of metal tungsten. The result of this energy conduction is a stream of highly energized particles called photons. These photons are channeled through a number of filters until they create a beam of X-ray radiation.

X-rays

When X-ray radiation is sent out in a beam, it travels through the patient. X-rays are a form of radiation, just like light. Whereas light doesn't penetrate past the skin because it's reflected, X-rays can pass through the skin. X-ray radiation is only stopped by dense body tissues, such as bones. It's this property that allows X-rays to take a "picture" of a person's skeleton. When the X-rays travel through the body, they expose a film on the other side . Where the rays hit the film, they turn it black. In the areas where the patient's bones absorbed the energy, they show up white, making a picture of the bone structure.

Safety

Older X-ray machines exposed doctors and patients to a large amount of X-ray radiation, which is harmful to human bodies. As time passed and have made some advances, new safety measures have been implemented. Current X-ray machines only produce radiationof small amounts . Additionally, the beam is tightly focused onto an area of the patient's body. The machine is shielded, and proper precautions such as concrete and lead shielding need to be built into hospitals or clinics to stop radiation from moving outward.