Arizona Administrative Code › Title 9 - HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 7 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES - RADIATION CONTROL › Article 6 - USE OF X-RAYS IN THE HEALING ARTS › Section R9-7-602 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 28, July 12, 2024
The following definitions apply in this Article, unless the
				  context otherwise requires:
"Accessible surface" means the external surface of the
				  enclosure or housing provided by the manufacturer.
"Added filter" means the filter added to the inherent
				  filtration.
"Aluminum equivalent" means the thickness of aluminum (type
				  1100 alloy) that affords equivalent attenuation, under specified conditions, as
				  the material in question. (The nominal chemical composition of type 1100
				  aluminum alloy is 99.00 percent minimum aluminum, 0.12 percent copper).
"Annual" means annually within two months of the anniversary
				  due date as determined by the original installation date, inspection date,
				  survey date, or a reset date created by conducting a full survey before the
				  anniversary date has arrived.
"Assembler" means any person engaged in the business of
				  assembling, replacing, or installing one or more components into an x-ray
				  system or subsystem.
"Attenuation block" means a block or stack, having dimensions
				  20 cm by 20 cm by 3.8 cm (7.9 inches by 7.9 inches by 1.5 inches) of type 1100
				  aluminum alloy or other materials that afford equivalent attenuation.
"Automatic exposure control" means a device that
				  automatically controls one or more technique factors in order to obtain, at a
				  preselected location or locations, a required quantity of radiation.
"Barrier" (See "Protective barrier")
"Beam axis" means a line from the source through the center
				  of the x-ray field.
"Beam-limiting device" means a device that provides a means
				  to restrict the dimensions of the x-ray field.
"C-arm x-ray system" means an x-ray system that has the image
				  receptor and x-ray tube housing assembly connected by a common mechanical
				  support system to maintain a desired spatial relationship. This system is
				  designed to allow a change in the projection of the beam through the patient
				  without a change in the position of the patient.
"Changeable filter" means any filter, exclusive of inherent
				  filtration, which can be removed from the useful beam by an electronic,
				  mechanical, or physical process.
"Cinefluorography" means fluorography that uses a movie
				  camera to record fluorograph images on film for later playback.
"Coefficient of variation" means the ratio of the standard
				  deviation to the mean value of a population of observations.
"Collimator" means an adjustable device, generally made of
				  lead, that is fixed to an x-ray tube housing to intercept or collimate the
				  useful beam and, if not made of lead, has a lead equivalency of not less than
				  that of the tube housing assembly.
"Compression device" means a device used to bring object
				  structures closer to the image plane of a radiograph and make a part of the
				  human body a more uniform thickness so the optical density of the radiograph
				  will be more uniform.
"Computed tomography" means the production of a tomogram by
				  the acquisition and computer processing of x-ray transmission data. For
				  purposes of these rules this term has the same meaning as "CT."
"Contact therapy system" means that the x-ray tube port is
				  put in contact with or within 5 centimeters (2 inches) of the surface being
				  treated.
"Control panel" means that part of the x-ray machine where
				  switches, knobs, push-buttons, or other hardware necessary for manually setting
				  the technique factors are located.
"Cooling curve" means the graphical relationship between heat
				  units stored and cooling time.
"CT gantry" means the tube housing assemblies, beam-limiting
				  devices, detectors, and the supporting structure, frame, and cover which hold
				  or enclose these components.
"Dead-man switch" means a switch constructed so that a
				  circuit-closing contact can be maintained only by continuous pressure on the
				  switch by the operator.
"Diagnostic source assembly" means the tube housing assembly
				  with a beam-limiting device attached.
"Diagnostic x-ray system" means an x-ray system designed for
				  irradiation of any part of a human or animal body for the purpose of diagnosis
				  or visualization.
"Direct scattered radiation" means scattered radiation that
				  has been deviated in direction only by materials irradiated by the useful beam
				  (see "Scattered radiation").
"Electronic brachytherapy" means a method of radiation
				  therapy where an electrically generated source of ionizing radiation is placed
				  in or near the tumor or target tissue to deliver therapeutic radiation
				  dosage.
"Entrance exposure rate" means the roentgens per unit time at
				  the point where the center of the useful beam enters the patient.
"Equipment" (See "X-ray equipment")
"Filter" means material placed in the useful beam to absorb
				  undesirable radiation.
"Fluoroscopic imaging assembly" means a subsystem in which
				  x-ray photons produce a fluoroscopic image. It includes the image receptor or
				  receptors such as the image intensifier and spot-film device, electrical
				  interlocks, if any, and structural material that provides a linkage between the
				  image receptor and diagnostic source assembly.
"Fluoroscopic system" means a radiographic x-ray system used
				  to directly visualize internal structure, the motion of internal structures,
				  and fluids in real time, or near real-time, to aid in the treatment or
				  diagnosis of disease, or the performance of other medical procedures.
"Focal spot" means the region of the anode target in an x-ray
				  tube where electrons from the cathode interact to produce x-rays.
"General purpose radiographic x-ray system" means any
				  radiographic x-ray system that, by design, is not limited to radiographic
				  examination of a specific anatomical region.
"Gonadal shield" means a protective barrier for the testes or
				  ovaries.
"Grid" means a device used to improve the image detail in a
				  radiograph by reducing the intensity of x-ray scatter radiation exiting the
				  film side of the patient.
"Half-value layer" or "HVL" means the thickness of a
				  specified material that attenuates the beam of radiation to an exposure rate
				  that is one-half of its original value. In this definition, the contribution of
				  any scattered radiation, other than that which is present initially in the
				  beam, is excluded.
"Healing arts radiography" means the application of
				  x-radiation to human patients for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes by a
				  licensed practitioner or a person certified in accordance with
				  R9-7-603(B)(1), at
				  the direction of a licensed practitioner. Healing arts radiography
				  includes:
Positioning the x-ray beam with respect to the
				  patient,
Anatomicalpositioning of the patient,
Selecting exposure factors, or
Initiating the exposure.
"Healing arts screening" means the application of radiation
				  from an x-ray machine to a human for the detection or evaluation of health
				  indications when the tests are not specifically and individually ordered by a
				  licensed practitioner.
"Image intensifier" means an electronic device, installed in
				  an x-ray system housing, which instantaneously converts an x-ray pattern into a
				  corresponding light image of higher intensity.
"Image receptor" means any device, such as a fluorescent
				  screen or radiographic film, which transforms incident x-ray photons either
				  into a visible image or into another form which can be made into a visible
				  image by further transformation.
"Inherent filtration" means the filtration of the useful beam
				  by permanently installed components of the tube housing assembly.
"Kilovolts peak" or "kVp" (See "Peak tube potential")
"Lateral fluoroscope" means the x-ray tube and image receptor
				  combination in a biplane system dedicated to the lateral projection. It
				  consists of the lateral x-ray tube housing assembly and the lateral image
				  receptor that are fixed in position relative to the table with the x-ray beam
				  axis parallel to the plane of the table.
"Lead equivalent" means the thickness of lead affording the
				  same attenuation, under specified conditions, as the material in
				  question.
"Leakage radiation" means all radiation emanating from the
				  tube housing except the useful beam and radiation produced when the exposure
				  switch or timer is not activated.
"Leakage technique factors" means the technique factors
				  associated with the diagnostic source assembly that are used in measuring
				  leakage radiation. Included are:
For capacitor energy storage equipment, the maximum-rated
				  peak tube potential and the maximum-rated number of exposures in an hour for
				  operation at the maximum-rated peak tube potential with the quantity of charge
				  per exposure being 10 millicoulombs (mAs) or the minimum obtainable from the
				  unit, whichever is larger,
For field emission equipment rated for pulsed operation, the
				  maximum-rated peak tube potential and maximum-rated number of x-ray pulses in
				  an hour for operation at the maximum-rated peak tube potential; and
For all other source assemblies, the maximum-rated peak tube
				  potential and maximum-rated continuous tube current for the maximum-rated peak
				  tube potential.
"mA" means milliampere.
"Mammographic x-ray system" means an x-ray system that is
				  specifically engineered to image human breasts.
"mAs" means milliampere second.
"Mobile equipment" (See "X-ray equipment")
"Peak tube potential" means the maximum value of the
				  potential difference across the x-ray tube during an exposure.
"Phantom" means a volume of material that behaves in a manner
				  similar to tissue with respect to the attenuation and scattering of radiation.
				  (i.e. "Breast phantom" means an artificial test object that simulates the
				  average composition of, and various structures in the breast.)
"Phototimer" (See "Automatic exposure control")
"Portable equipment" (See "X-ray equipment")
"Primary protective barrier" (See "Protective
				  barrier")
"Protective apron" means an apron made of radiation,
				  absorbing material used to reduce radiation exposure.
"Protective barrier" means a barrier of radiation-absorbing
				  material used to reduce radiation exposure.
"Primary protective barrier" means the material, excluding
				  filters, placed in the useful beam.
"Secondary protective barrier" means the material which
				  attenuates stray radiation.
"Protective glove" means a glove made of radiation-absorbing
				  material used to reduce radiation exposure.
"Radiologic physicist" means an individual who:
Is certified by the American Board of Radiology, American
				  Board of Medical Physics, or the American Board of Health Physics;
Possesses documentation of state approval;
Holds a master's degree or higher in a physical science;
				  and
Meets the training and certification requirements in
				  R9-7-615(A)(1)(c).
"Scattered radiation" means radiation that, during passage
				  through matter, has been deviated in direction. (See "Direct scattered
				  radiation")
"Screen" or "intensifying screen" means a device that
				  converts the energy of the x-ray beam into visible light that interacts with
				  the radiographic film, forming a latent image, or contains photostimulable
				  phosphor plates that upon exposure, emit visible or nonvisible light to create
				  an image.
"Secondary protective barrier" (See "Protective
				  barrier")
"Shutter" (See "Collimator")
"Source" means the focal spot of the x-ray tube.
"Source-to-image receptor distance" or "SID" means the
				  distance from the source to the center of the input surface of the image
				  receptor.
"Spot check" means an abbreviated calibration procedure which
				  is performed to assure that a previous calibration continues to be valid. Also,
				  a spot film may be taken to improve visualization by arresting motion and to
				  document medical observations. Note that in some cases, a film may not be
				  created.
"Stationary equipment" (See "X-ray equipment")
"Stray radiation" means the sum of leakage and scattered
				  radiation.
"System" (See "X-ray system")
"Technique chart" means a tabulation of technique
				  factors.
"Technique factors" means the following conditions of
				  operation:
For capacitor energy storage equipment, peak tube potential
				  in kV and quantity of charge in mAs;
Forfield emission equipment rated for pulsed operation, peak
				  tube potential in kV, and number of x-ray pulses;
ForCT x-ray systems designed for pulsed operation, peak tube
				  potential in kV, scan time in seconds, and either tube current in mA, x-ray
				  pulse width in seconds, and number of x-ray pulses per scan, or the product of
				  tube current, x-ray pulse width, and number of x-ray pulses in mAs;
ForCT x-ray systems not designed for pulsed operation, peak
				  tube potential in kV, and either tube current in mA and scan time in seconds,
				  or the product of tube current, exposure time in mAs, when the scan time and
				  exposure time are equivalent; and
For all other equipment, peak tube potential in kV, and
				  either tube current in mA and exposure time in seconds, or the product of tube
				  current and exposure time in mAs.
"Treatment simulator" means a diagnostic x-ray system that
				  duplicates a medical particle accelerator or other tele-therapy in terms of its
				  geometrical, mechanical, and optical qualities; the main function of which, is
				  to display radiation treatment fields so that the target volume may be
				  accurately included in the area of irradiation without delivering excess
				  radiation to surrounding normal tissue.
"Tube" means x-ray tube unless otherwise specified.
"Tube housing assembly" means the tube housing with the tube
				  installed. It includes high-voltage or filament transformers and other elements
				  contained within the tube housing.
"Tube rating chart" means the set of curves that specify the
				  rated limits of operation of the tube in terms of the technique factors.
"Useful beam" means the radiation emanating from the tube
				  housing port or the radiation head and passing through the aperture of the
				  beam-limiting device when the exposure controls are in a mode that causes the
				  system to produce radiation.
"Visible area" means that portion of the input surface on the
				  image receptor over which incident x-ray photons are producing a visible
				  image.
"X-ray equipment" means an x-ray system, subsystem, or
				  component described further by the following terms:
"Hand-held" means x-ray equipment designed to be held by an
				  operator while being used.
"Mobile" means x-ray equipment mounted on a permanent base
				  with wheels or casters for moving while completely assembled.
"Portable" means x-ray equipment designed to be hand-carried,
				  but used with a cord or delayed timer system that allows the operator to be six
				  feet or more away from the useful beam.
"Stationary" means x-ray equipment installed in a fixed
				  location.
"Transportable mobile" means x-ray equipment installed in a
				  vehicle or trailer.
"X-ray system" means an assemblage of components for the
				  controlled production of x-rays. It includes, at minimum, an x-ray high-voltage
				  generator, an x-ray control, a tube housing assembly, a beam-limiting device,
				  and the necessary supporting structures. Additional components that function
				  with the system are considered integral parts of the system.
"X-ray tube" means any electron tube that is designed for the
				  conversion of electrical energy into x-ray energy. For purposes of the rules
				  contained in 9 A.A.C. 7, this term is synonymous with "tube."