Diagnostic Imaging Word List

  1. Describes tissue that transmits sounf through to deeper tissues, reflecting none back to the transducer.  Appear black on the monitor.
  2. Site of the x-ray generation in the x-ray tube; contains tungsten metal plate on which electrons are focused.
  3. Site of electron generation in the x-ray tube; contains a filament consisting of tightly coiled tungsten wire.  As current is applied to the filament, electrons are boiled off and become available to be accerated toward the anode.
  4. Pertaining to structures or areas situated toward the tail.
  5. Device used to restrict the size of the x-ray beam.
  6. Differences in radiographic density between adjacent areas on the radiographic image
  7. Substances used to opacify or delineate an organ system against the surrounding organs.
    Contrast media
  8. Pertaining to structures or areas situated toward the head.
  9. Contrast study used to evaluate the urinary bladder.
  10. Degree of blackness on a finished radiograph.
  11. Processing chemical that changes the sensitized silver halide crystals into black metallic silver.
  12. Pertaining to structures or areas situated away from the point of attachment.
  13. Pertaining to body areas situated toward the back or topline or quadrupeds.
  14. Contrast procedure that uses both positive-contrast and negative-contrast media.
    Double contrast
  15. Describes tissue that reflects most of the sound back to the transducer.  Tissue appears white on the monitor; also referred to as echogenic.
  16. Method used to measure ionizing radiation exposure to personel.
  17. Tightly coiled tungsten wire that is placed in the focusing cup of the cathode.
  18. Processing chemical responsible for removing the remaining silver halide crystals from the film emulsion.
  19. Distance from the focal spot of the recording surface (film or cassette).
    Focal-film distance
  20. Site on the anode where the electrons are focused.
    Focal spot
  21. Part of the cathode that restricts the diameter of accelerating electrons to the focal spot on the anode.
    Focusing cup
  22. Decrease in the differences in tissue densities between two adjacent shadows.  Can be caused by low-grade light leak in the darkroom, scatter radiation, high temperature and improper processing techniques.
  23. Radiographic effect occuring when the object is not parallel to the recorfing surface.  This causes distortion of the size and length of the object.
  24. Series of thin linear strips made of alternaring radiodense and radiolucent interspacers. Used to decrease the amount of scatter radiation and increase the contrast on the radiograph.
  25. Uneven distribution of the x-ray beam intensity emitted from the x-ray tube
    Heel effect
  26. Describes tissues that reflect more sound back to the transducer.  Tissue appears brighter than surrounding tissues.
  27. Describes tissues that reflect less sound back to the transducer.  Tissue appear darker than surrounding tissues.
  28. Process in which an outer electron is completely removed from the atom so that the atom is left positively charged.
  29. Describes tissues that have the same echotexture as surrounding tissues.
  30. Voltage applied between the cathode and anode.  Increasing the kVp results in a shorter wavelength x-ray that is more penetrating.
    Kilovoltage peak (kVp)
  31. Silver halide crystals in the film emulsion that have been exposed to a radiant energy become sensitized and susceptible to chemical change.  These susceptible make up the latent image.
    Latent image
  32. Pertaining to structures or body areas situated away from the median plane or midline.
  33. Pertaining to the structures or body areas situated toward the median place or midline.
  34. Controls the number of electrons generated at the filament of the cathode, increasing the number of x-rays produced.
    Milliamperage (mA)
  35. Contrast study used to evaluate the spinal cord for the site and nature of lesions on survey radiographs.
  36. Contrast media low in atomic number, appearing radiolucent on the radiographs.
    Negative contrast
  37. Distance from the object being imaged to the recording surface (film).
    Object-film distance
  38. Blurring at the tissues interfaces.
  39. Small packets of energy; also referred to as quanta.
  40. Contrast medium high in atomic number, appearing radiodense on the radiograph.
    Positive contrast
  41. Device that sets the grid in motion, blurring the white lines on the finished radiograph that are produced by the grid.
    Potter-bucky diaphragm
  42. Describes an area that absorbs x-rays, appearing white on the finished radiograph.
  43. When the tissue interfaces are sharp and possess good contrast.
    Radiographic detail
  44. Describes an area that absorbs fewer x-rays than other areas, appearing darker on the finished radiograph.
  45. Pertaining to structures or body areas on the head situated toward the nose.
  46. Longer wavelength x-ray that has no usefulness to the formation of the image; results in a great decrease in the contrast on the finished radiograph.
    Scatter radiation 
  47. Instrument used to conduct an ultrasound of tissues; emits a series of pulses and then receives the returning echoes.
  48. Non-invasive method of imaging soft tissues by sending low-intensity, high frequency sound waves into the tissues and then listening for the returning echoes that have been reflected.
  49. Distance of one complete waveform.
  50. Form of electromagnetic radiation; similar to visible light, with shorter wavelengths.
Card Set
Diagnostic Imaging Word List
Terms related to diagnostic imaging