Patient Exposures from Film and Xeroradiographic Mammographic Techniques

Radiation exposures of several mammographic imaging systems, including (a) industrial film, xeroradiographic plates, the Du Pont Lo-Dose vacuum-cassette screen-film combination exposed with a molybdenum target tube and (b) xeroradiographic plates exposed with a tungsten target, were investigated with a thin-window ionization chamber and a range of exposures for different breast sizes was determined for each technique. The Lo-Dose system was found to provide high-quality diagnostic images with minimal patient exposure.