Radiation Health & SafetyQuestion 23 of 100
Switching from an 8-inch to a 16-inch position-indicating device (PID) affects the beam by:
a.Increasing beam divergence and enlarging the irradiated area
b.Reducing beam divergence so the beam is less spread out at the patient's face
c.Converting the beam from primary to secondary radiation
d.Eliminating the need for aluminum filtration
Explanation
A longer PID produces a less divergent, more parallel beam, which improves image sharpness and reduces the volume of tissue irradiated. Divergence decreases rather than increases with a longer cone. A PID does not change the nature of the beam from primary to secondary, and filtration is still required regardless of PID length.
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