What do we call the radiation that exits the patient after exposure?

Remnant radiation refers to the radiation that exits the patient after the exposure has occurred. This type of radiation is critical in imaging processes, as it is the radiation that carries the information necessary to create the final diagnostic image.

During radiographic procedures, primary radiation is the initial beam generated by the X-ray tube before it interacts with the patient. Once this beam passes through the patient, it can be attenuated by various tissues, with some of it being absorbed and some being scattered. The remnant radiation is what ultimately reaches the imaging receptor, whether it be a film or digital detector, allowing for the formation of an image based on the varying densities of the tissues.

This term is essential in understanding how diagnostic images are formed, illustrating the relationship between the radiation exposure, patient anatomy, and the resulting radiographic image.