If you are running a medical facility, you need to take care of a couple of things as you will be directly dealing with the patients’ life and body. There are many different types of medical facilities out there, and each one of them has one thing in common: the use of high-end devices and machines. Some standard machines that you find at almost all the medical facilities are X-rays and other radiation-based machines. If you are not caring for these machines properly, you are putting your patient and the machine operator at risk.
This is one of the main reasons most medical facilities using any radiation-based machine for testing and diagnosis go for services like shielding integrity, facility planning, testing services, CAR-MAP annual inspection, and even CT quality control. But apart from these services, there are some basic things that you should know about radiation, and one such important thing is the principle of radiography in the non-destructive examination.
The working
One of the most important things you have to understand here is that both X-rays and gamma radiations have a shorter than hundred nanometers wavelength. If there is any energy operating at such a wavelength, it’s sure that it will penetrate through any solid material. So, this means that the shorter the wavelength, the better it will be at penetration. But if the wavelength will be too high, it will lose its ability to penetrate through a solid material.
And just like normal visible light, even X-rays and gamma rays have a typical photochemical effect on silver-halide, which is why it can produce a type of image on the film without any issue. Therefore, when the radiation penetrates through a solid object, the emerging radiation is recorded in a film. We will get a two-dimensional image of the difference in object’s density or thickness. This is how we can identify issues in any item.
Discovery and implementation
This process of using shorter wavelengths for identifying flaws in an object was discovered in 1895 by William Roentgen. Soon after the discovery, medical facilities started using the same concept and application being used in medicine, & then its application moved to the industrial sector- Its basic principle is that radiation is immersed & then scattered as it passes through an object. If there will be any variation in the density or thickness because of any defect, then less or more radiation will pass, affecting the exposure of the film. The flaws will become visible in the film, mainly in the form of dark areas.
Further identification and uses
If you assign a newbie to identify the flaws, then there are maximum chances that he will not give you tangible results. This is why you will need experts here. A trained professional who has mastered the art of X-ray filming will know where the flaw is, based on the shape and darkness on the film.
If there is little difference in the object’s thickness, you will get it on the radiograph. This is one of the main reasons why lamination is pretty difficult to identify through radiation. On the other side, porosity, crack parallel to the beam, and even slag inclusion will be easily visible.
The disadvantage
One of the most significant disadvantages here will be the short-wavelength radiations will be ionizing. This means that it can lead to many different types of chemical changes in the body, proving harmful. It doesn’t matter which type of ionizing radiation you are using; it will never prove to be safe for human use.
You will be surprised to know that even exposure to a small amount of ionizing radiation can lead to a change in the genetic code, and it will end being the cause of cancer in the human body. There are many different types of safety precautions that one will need to take care of during the use of radiography, and this is not only time-consuming but also hectic.
This is one of the main reasons most medical facilities using any radiation are dependent upon shielding adequacy services. By using shielding adequacy services, you can be sure that the radiation is being used safely and pose no threats to anyone.
