[To the 60th anniversary of foundation of the Laboratory of X-ray Receivers, Russian Scientific Center for Roentgenoradiology. Part I: From birth to recognition]

Abstract

The evolution of X-ray phosphors, screens, and films from the 1940s to present day and the contribution of the Laboratory of X-Ray Receivers, Russian Scientific Center for Roentgenoradiology, to this process are considered. It is shown that this evolution was mainly due to the attempts to obtain maximal diagnostic information with minimal dose load on patients and medical personnel. As a result, a family of intensifying screens was developed on the basis of traditional calcium-tungstate and zinc-cadmium-sulfide phosphors, as well as new phosphors based on rare-earth oxysulfides, oxyhalides, and tantalites and barium fluorohalides. The classification, properties and fields of application of the screens of all types are described. The permissible limits of the main X-ray film characteristics and the parameters of their processing are discussed from the same point of view. The research into this area will be apparently combined with further development of digital radiography and its introduction into medical practice.