A COMPACT RADIATION SOURCE FOR DIGITAL SUBTRACTIVE ANGIOGRAPHY

Beam requirements for 33 keV radiation used in digital subtraction ang iography have been established through extended experimentation first at Stanford and later at the National Synchrotron Light Source in Broo khaven. So far research and development of this medical procedure to i mage coronary blood vessels have been undertaken on large high energy electron storage rings. With progress in this diagnostic procedure, it is interesting to look for an optimum concept for providing a 33 keV radiation source which would fit into the environment of a hospital. A variety of competing effects and technologies to produce 33 keV radia tion are available, but none of these process provides the combination of sufficient photon flux and monochromaticity except for synchrotron radiation from an electron storage ring. The conceptual design of a c ompact storage ring optimized to fit into a hospital environment and p roducing sufficient 33 keV radiation for digital subtraction radiograp hy will be discussed.