Anode Heel Impact (X-Ray Tube)

This video covers subjects concerning the anode heel result.

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Decreasing the angle of the X-ray tube anode triggers a variation of the beam’s intensity across the x-ray field. In other words, there are fewer x-ray photons on the anode side of the beam compared to the cathode side of the beam.

X-ray photons are not simply developed on the surface area of the X-ray anode, but instead, are formed within the inner part of the anode’s target product. The X-ray photons that are created near the back of the anode must take a trip through more target material than those produced closer to the anode’s surface area. Some of the X-ray photons passing through the back of the anode are taken in into the anode, which acts to decrease the X-ray beam intensity on the anode side of the beam.

By understanding the anode heel impact, we have the ability to use it to our benefit in producing high-quality radiographs. In this illustration, you can see that by putting the client’s head closer to the anode end of the x-ray tube, we have the ability to utilize the stronger part of the bean to better penetrate the patient’s lumbar anatomy.

A more obvious and undesirable anode heel effect will take place when an anode angle is less than 15 degrees. This is, as discussed earlier, due to the increased percentage of X-ray photons having to travel through the material of the anode heel.

The relationship in between anode angle and anode heel result is inversely related, because as anode angle reduced, that is, it gets steeper, anode heel effect increases.

An increase in anode heel result can likewise be produced by decreasing the source to image range. By comparing the X-ray beam from SID 1 and SID 2, we can see that the image receptor closets to the beam would produce an image with a greater variation in both light and dark densities. By shortening the source to image distance, the image receptor is exposed to a greater quantity of both high-intensity cathode side photons in addition to the low-intensity anode side photons. When we begin to increase the source to image range, that is, move it further from the x-ray tube, the distinction in between photon strengths starts to also reduce.

The relationship between SID and heel effect also has an inversely associated because as SID reduced, heel effect increases.

The size of the x-ray field can be another contributing element to the intensity of the heel effect. As the x-ray beam diverges external, the differences in beam strength boost. A big field size will produce greater variation in both high and low-intensity photons, compared to a smaller field size.

The relationship between field size and heel impact is directly associated to that as field size increases, so does the heel impact.

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