Do All Cassettes Have Intensifying Screens?

X-rays were discovered in 1895 by W.C. Roentgen, when he witnessed mysterious "rays" coming from a Cathode Ray Tube. Cassettes and intensifying screens are used together in order for a film-captured X-ray image to be viewed directly on a monitor.

Cassettes

• Cassettes, which are physically reminiscent of books, consists of two flat rectangular pieces with a hinge along the edge. They are "light-tight containers" where X-rays are stored for exposure before the ionizing radiation process.

Intensifying Screens

• Intensifying screens are thin plastic sheets coated with phosphors, which is a fluorescent material that converts photon energy into light. There are three types of intensifying screens, including standard-slow screens, rare-earth fast screens and combination screens.

Cassettes and Intensifying Screens

• Cassettes and intensifying screens work together during the X-ray process to exclude light and protect against physical damage, which reduces a patient's chance of radiation during an X-ray. Although cassettes do not contain intensifying film, the film must be inserted into the cassette in order to prevent patient radiation.