Portable X-Ray Unit using a Radioactive Source for Oral Radiography

An emission radiographic imaging system that is lightweight, compact and portable was developed that can produce diagnostic quality radiographs of the oral region with reasonable exposure times. The imaging system consists of a radioisotope camera as the photon source and a rare earth-screen film-combination as the image receptor. The radioisotopes iodine-125, ytterbium-169, and gadolinium-153 were evaluated as photon sources. Lanex regular and fast rare-earth screens in combination with OM, OG, and OH film were evaluated as possible image receptors. Diagnostic quality radiographs were produced with most systems. However, the radioisotope camera mated to gadolinium-153 and utilizing the Lanex regular-OH screen-film combination produced radiographs with the best combination of speed, resolution, and subjective image quality, closely resembling a typical dental panoramic radiograph.