What effect does increasing filtration have on patient exposure?

Increasing filtration in an x-ray beam primarily serves to improve the quality of the radiation while decreasing the overall exposure that the patient receives. Filtration effectively removes lower-energy photons from the beam, which are less likely to contribute to useful imaging but more likely to be absorbed by the patient's tissues. These lower-energy photons contribute to unnecessary radiation dose without providing diagnostic value, thus increasing the risk of radiation exposure for the patient.

When filtration is increased, the beam becomes "harder," meaning it has a higher average energy. This higher energy means that the radiation is more penetrating, allowing it to pass through the patient more efficiently and ultimately resulting in reduced overall exposure. Consequently, the dose to the patient is decreased, which is a crucial principle in radiation protection. This concept also aligns with the goal of optimizing radiation doses, ensuring that patients receive only the necessary amount of radiation needed for diagnostic purposes while minimizing their exposure.