Page 24 - A Practical Guide to Equine Radiography
P. 24
VetBooks.ir CHAPTER 2
X-ray equipment and radiation
safety in equine practice
The equipment needed for equine radiography and are commonly used in equine ambulatory
includes: practice. Mobile machines are on wheels and
can be moved around within a hospital set-
• X-ray generator ting. These are often used if no dedicated X-ray
• registration plates or cassettes to register the room is available and X-ray procedures are
image performed in rooms where other procedures
• stands and holders for equipment: plate also take place, for example operating theatres.
holders, generator stands Stationary units are usually ceiling-mounted
• positioning aids for horses: blocks, head units in dedicated X-ray suites.
stand X-ray generators are categorized based
• anti-scatter grids on their output into ‘high-output’ and ‘low-
• protective equipment: output’ generators. Stationary machines are
usually high-output generators while portable
− gowns, thyroid protectors, gloves machines are limited in their output and mobile
− screens machines are somewhere between the two. The
− monitoring badges output capacity of a machine can be found in
the technical specification of the equipment
• viewing station and usually also on a sticker on the side of
• visual warning aids such as signs or tape if the generator. Both the maximum kVp and the
necessary to prevent people walking in on maximum mA should be listed. It is well worth
the procedure being familiar with these values since it will let
• competent horse handler the user decide which radiographs are within
• Sedation! the capability of the system.
X-ray generators Registration systems: computed
X-ray generators can be divided into portable, versus digital radiography
mobile and stationary machines. Portable Recent advancements in diagnostic imaging
machines are small and lightweight units that have seen the replacement of conventional
can easily be fitted in a car and carried by hand film-screen systems with computed radiography
Equine Radiography.indb 5 27/11/2018 11:03
