Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-07
PORTABLE x-RAY OUTFIT
CAN BE USED IN HOMES

TOR many years the X-ray has been
l.. the invaluable ally of surgery
and medicine, but until recently il
has been necessary always to trans
port the patient to the X-ray labora-
tory. Those sufferers whose condition
for bade this were. through no fault
or desire of their own. deprived OF thr
N-ray's benefits. with the result that
medical skill has been handicapped
in diagnosing conditions which other
wise might not have been recognized
DR.. W. ID. Coolidge and his associates
IN the research laboratory of the Cen
cral Electric Company at Schenectady
have recently Pei fected a portable N
ray outfit which meets this need. The
United States Army portable outht
which they devised rendered service
of a high order in the European war.
and the new and more compact outfit
is the peace outgrowth of the Army
set
1t is now possible for any doctor to
transport the entire new outfit, pack
ed in four hand-borne units, to any
home wired for electricity and pro-
duce photograph results as good as
those secuted In 9 Cc193etely equip.
ped X-ray laboratory The process
OF ODcTatIuk tne Ifl6Ct1dS - sith-
rlificd for him by control systems
enabling him to use the exact ray
intensity he needs and time switch
that accurately controls the length OF
each exposure. With these adjusted.
the doctor merely presses button
and the machine does the rest. Plates
can thus be produced which show re-
markahle uniformity. An ordinary
incandcscent light circuit supplies all
the nccei SaIy current.
al dfa
also fol hospital use, so that II can
be taken TO the bedside of patients
Who cannot be conveniently moved. to
the N-ray laboratory. The results
produced with this outfit are COM
parable with those of any ordinary
N-ray machine except its power is
too low for instantaneous gastro-in-
tcstinal photography, which requires
greater speed and power.
The portable set has been greatly
compacted and simplified over the
Army type familiar to Medical Corps
:nen. The bulb itself has been re
duce.i in size to . !. inches. By making
the tube of thick lead glass. this re-
placing u heavy lead shield, the total
weight of the tube and its protection
WAS reduced five pounds. with conse-
quent tightening of the frame which
supports IL. This lead glass. made
from 4 formula developed in the
Schenectady laboratory, contains about
resistance to N-rays. is equal in pro-
tective power to lead one-siXteenth Of
an inch thick.
The new tube rectifies its own cur
rent. thus doing away with a heavy.
bulky rectifier and adding to the eff
cheney of the set as whole. The
transformer has been reduced in size
by the use of smaller winnings. and
a case shaped TO fit the coils. a mini
mum of weight and bulk is secured in
lac, nj a.. l.Nr -
full choice of materials and study
of sizes and shapes. Thus, when tho
outfit is ready to be taken out for USE.
the doctor carries an ordinary size
suitcase containing the tube. reels.
cables. base of the stand, and other
small parts. the transformer borne by
special carrying cover, the tube
stand in cloth container resembling
golf bag. and small instrument
and control box. The whole load is
tonneau of 4 small automobile. The
transformer. which is the heaviest
unit of the four. weighs forty-three
pounds with its case. 1t is oil in
sulated. and delivers TO the tube 10
milliamperes at 10000 volts.
One of the obstacles to photography
in homes is the variation in circuits
between city and city, or even be
tween different parts of the same city.
This is overcome by the control sys-
tenn OF the portable outfit by means of
W hich it is possible always TO deliver
the same definite voltage to the trans
former primary.
The operating current for the port
able X-ray can be taken from a light
ing circuit by plugging in the nearest
lamp socket or Dashboard receptacle
This usually is 110-volt circuit fused
for six or ten amperes. making
available about $50 watts, or the
amount used in an electric hatiron
Thus, under all ordinary conditions
the new portable outfit can be used
almost anywhere with ease and ac-
curacy.