THE PRACTICAL PEAK VOLTAGE OF DIAGNOSTIC-X-RAY GENERATORS

A new quantity termed the ''practical peak voltage'' is proposed. This quantity is derived by equating the low level contrast in an exposure made with an X-ray tube connected to a generator delivering any arbit rary wave form, to the contrast produced by the same X-ray tube connec ted to a constant potential generator. Out of the great number of poss ible contrast configurations one is selected as being suitable for dia gnostic radiology. By means of an eigenvalue problem a direct link is established between the electrical quantity X-ray tube voltage and the practical peak voltage which was initially defined through the proper ties of the X-ray field. It is shown that the spread in total X-ray tu be filtration as encountered in medical diagnostic radiology can influ ence the result of a measurement of the practical peak voltage only ma rginally.