title: Effects of aluminum-copper alloy filtration on photon spectra, air kerma rate and image contrast.
abstract: This study evaluated the performance of aluminum-copper alloy filtration, without the original aluminum filter, for dental radiography in terms of x-ray energy spectrum, air kerma rate and image quality. Comparisons of various thicknesses of aluminum-copper alloy in three different percentages were made with aluminum filtration. Tests were conducted on an intra-oral dental x-ray machine and were made on mandible phantom and on step-wedge. Depending on the thickness of aluminum-copper alloy filtration, the beam could be hardened and filtrated. The use of the aluminum-copper alloy filter resulted in reductions in air kerma rate from 8.40% to 47.33%, and indicated the same image contrast when compared to aluminum filtration. Aluminum-copper alloy filtration may be considered a good alternative to aluminum filtration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Diagnosis and Dentomaxillofacial Surgery, Division of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Araraquara Dental School, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil. andreag@foar.unesp.br
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: João Manuel Domingos de Almeida
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rollo
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haiter Neto
authors.forename: Frab Norberto
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Bóscolo
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000497:Alloys / Q000737:chemistry*; D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008422:Materials Testing; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D017785:Photons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014962:X-Ray Film
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D003300:Copper; D000535:Aluminum