Final answer:
Rare earth intensifying screens contribute to lowering the patient dose by permitting the use of lower mA-s and kVp, and eliminating the need for patient shielding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rare earth intensifying screens contribute to lowering the patient dose in three ways:
- They permit the use of lower milliampere-seconds (mA-s), which is the product of the milliamperage (mA) and the exposure time in seconds (s).
- They permit the use of lower kilovolts peak (kVp), which is the peak voltage used to accelerate the electrons in the X-ray tube.
- They eliminate the need for patient shielding, as the screens themselves absorb the X-ray radiation and reduce its penetration.
By using rare earth intensifying screens, healthcare providers can reduce the X-ray exposure dose to patients without compromising the quality of the diagnostic images.