What is an example of added filtration for x-ray equipment?

Added filtration in x-ray equipment refers to the material placed in the x-ray beam path, designed to absorb low-energy photons that do not contribute to image formation and can increase patient dose or have no diagnostic value. The most common material used for this purpose is aluminum.

Using additional aluminum layers as added filtration is effective because aluminum has the appropriate atomic number to attenuate low-energy x-rays while allowing higher-energy, diagnostic-quality x-rays to pass through. This process improves the quality of the x-ray beam and minimizes patient exposure to unnecessary radiation.

In practice, the inclusion of these aluminum layers helps to comply with safety standards by ensuring that only the necessary amount of radiation reaches the patient, thus enhancing the safety and efficacy of radiographic procedures. Other materials, such as lead or acrylic, are not intended specifically for this purpose and instead serve different roles in radiation protection or equipment. Therefore, additional layers of aluminum serve as the ideal example of added filtration in x-ray equipment.