FILM HANDLING AND STORAGE

FILM HANDLING AND STORAGE

X-ray film should be stored and handled properly, otherwise it will produce artifacts. It should not be bend, crease, or rough handled.It is pressure sensitive and sharp objects like finger nails may produce artifact. Film is sensitive to temperature, humidity and should be stored at 20°C. Higher temperature and humidity (60%) may cause fog and reduce image contrast. Film is sensitive to light and should be stored and handled in dark. Exposure to low level light may increase the fog. Hence, a well sealed darkroom and a light proof storage bin is a must. Ionizing radiations may fog the film and reduce contrast. Film is more sensitive after an exposure than before. In the first exposure, the optical density is raised above the toe. Successive exposure may cause higher optical
density. Film should not be stored near radioactive substance and nuclear medicine areas.
Films are supplied in boxes of 50 or 100 sheets. The packing may be by interleaved or non-interleaved method with chemically treated paper. Expiry date is given on the box, which is the self life of the film. Film should not be used after the expiry date, usually 6 months. Aged films may have loss of speed, contrast with increased amount of fog. Film should be stored vertically on the edges. In this, the film will not stick to one another, less likely to warp, and have less pressure artifacts. The storage is made in such a way that oldest film should be used first. Film may be purchased monthly, so that the storage may not exceed more than 30 days.