Your views
Your feedback is vital to us as we continue to increase the quality of our services.
You are here:
Date: 20 February 2025
Time: 19:52
X-ray radiation qualities
For calibrating diagnostic X-ray instruments, RRPPS produces the radiation qualities and irradiation conditions which are in accordance with the stated requirements of CEI/IEC 61267: 2005, Medical Diagnostic X-ray Equipment - Radiation Conditions for Use in the Determination of Characteristics.
A limited number of these beam qualities are included as standard; others are available by prior arrangement only.
| Standard radiation quality | X-ray tube voltage (kV) | Half-value layer (mm AI) |
|---|---|---|
| RQR 2 | 40 | 1.4 |
| RQR 3 | 50 | 1.8 |
| RQR 4 | 60 | 2.2 |
| RQR 5 | 70 | 2.6 |
| RQR 6 | 80 | 3.0 |
| RQR 7 | 90 | 3.5 |
| RQR 8 | 100 | 4.0 |
| RQR 9 | 120 | 5.0 |
| RQR 10 | 150 | 6.6 |
| Standard radiation quality | Approximate X-ray tube voltage (kV) | Normal first half-value layer (mm AI) |
|---|---|---|
| RQC | 70 | 8.4 |
| Standard radiation quality | X-ray tube voltage (kV) | Half-value layer (mm AI) |
|---|---|---|
| RQT8 | 100 | 6.9 |
| RQT9 | 120 | 8.4 |
| RQT10 | 150 | 10.1 |
As part of our quality assurance and measurement traceability procedures, the radiation qualities specified by the IEC are cross referenced against the measured X-ray spectrum end point (peak photon energy), obtained using a hyper pure germanium detector.
Further details may be obtained from our paper "Development of a Calibration Facility for Test Instrumentation in Diagnostic Radiology", S.Green, J.E.Palethorpe, D.E.Peach & D.A.Bradley, published in Radiation Protection Dosimetry No 67, July 1996, pp41-46. For more information see external links.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is not responsible for the contents or the reliability of external websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Listing should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that links to other websites will work all of the time, and we have no control over the availability of external web pages.
