In medical imaging, x-ray machines make radiographs (pictures) of the bones and internal organs of the body. X-rays help physicians detect injuries and diseases, such as broken bones or tumors, inside your body.

The X-ray technologist produces a picture by passing a beam of X-rays through your body onto a sheet of film that is sensitive to X-rays. The sheet of film is contained in a film holder called a cassette. The cassette is then taken into a darkroom where the film is developed (similar to photographic film). The developed film shows how the X-rays pass through muscles and other soft tissue but are stopped by dense materials such as bone. The bone shows up white on the developed film while muscle and soft tissues show up in varying shades of gray.

At Able Imaging close attention is paid to radiation protection. The dose of radiation absorbed by your body during an X-ray is decreased at our facility by 3 factors:

• Rare earth screens are used in all film cassette holders to increase the sensitivity of our film and lower the radiation dose absorbed by the patient
  
• The Summit X-ray equipment employs a high-frequency generator, which decreases radiation dose.
  
• A lead apron is placed on the area of the body not being examined by X-ray