How long does it take for an x-ray picture to develop?

Question

I need a complete step by step explanation of how someone would take an x-ray, the noises it would make, what the machine would look like (or if there are several different types then please describe them), how long it would take for the picture to develop and where the picture comes out of (some kind of special printer or something) and basically everything you would do with the x-ray picture afterwards (would you file it? bring it to a certain person?).

If it is different in a medical examiners or forensic pathologists office than in a doctors office then please give me the details about what it would be like. I'm writing a little novella that involves a forensic pathologist and at one point he needs to take an x-ray of the body but i don't know the whole process you would go through to do that. please use a lot of detail.

Thank you

Answer 1

Most xray departments do not use film anymore. However, to develop an xray it takes about 90 seconds to run through a developing machine just as with 1 hour photo machines. Usually places are computed radiography or digital. Digital machines will appear instantly on the PC that is in the room. CR machines utilizes reusable cassettes that are inserted into a reader and is then erased and reused over and over again. These will then show on the computer in about one minute.
As far as sounds go you will hear the machine rotor up (warm up) when you expose you will hear the generator slow down and the exposure beep.
The exposure can go in incriments of a second as with hands or a couple of seconds for say thoracic spine exams.
Most xray machines are very different. However they all are based off the same idea..You have a tabletop that can swivle on a sturdy base that holds a cassette. You also have your xray tube hanging above that run on tracks on the ceiling.
These machines have many buttons that allow you to move laterally, vertically, and longtitudinally. Most tubes have a lazer attached so you can easily align the center of your xray beam to the cassette in your table. This way you can swivle your patient on the table without having to move anymore equipment.
Poistioning is very important. Each body part has very specific positions. I would recomend reading "Merrill's Radiographic Positioning". You have a seperate control panal behind a lead wall that has your computer where you set a technique of how much xray you want to use. These techniques are different for each anatomical region and body habitus (size).
Most xray's are stored in the computer nowadays. When we finish an exam we send them to system we work on. The radiologist (the doctor who dictates what they see in the xray) can easily look them up and magnify them on very specialized screens. Because hospitals still must hold on to the films from back in the olden days (90's) they are usually stored in rented warehouses usually only for 7 years (oregon laws may differ than yours).
I have only worked in a hospital and clinic and it seems to work the same both places.

Answer 2

First, you will have to determine if you are using a fixed unit with a table or a portable. Modern x-ray systems are digital now, so it takes only a few seconds to obtain the image from the cassette and then the image is in the system and is viewable on special monitors as well as on a PC. The noise is a beep that last the time of exposure. The exposure time is related to what portion of the body is being examined.

Answer 3

I was a student X-ray Tech but none of us would remember all that because the work is so hectic.