Superficial X-rays are low-energy

X-rays An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 Picometre, picometers to 10 Nanometre, nanometers, corresponding to frequency, ...

that do not penetrate very far before they are absorbed. They are produced by X-ray tubes operating at

voltage Voltage, also known as electric pressure, electric tension, or (electric) potential difference, is the difference in electric potential between two points. In a static electric field, it corresponds to the work needed per unit of charge to m ...

s in the 10–100 kV range, and therefore have peak energies in the 10–100 keV range. The Maximar-100 was a widely-adopted superficial radiation therapy unit. Precise naming and definitions of energy ranges may vary, and X-rays at the lower end of this range may also be known as

Grenz rays Grenz rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising low energy (ultrasoft) X-rays. These were first investigated by Gustav Bucky in 1923 using a cathode vacuum tube with a lithium borate glass window, which he labeled Grenz rays as he b ...

. They are useful in

radiation therapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...

for the treatment of various benign or malignant

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...

problems, including skin cancer and severe

eczema Dermatitis is inflammation of the Human skin, skin, typically characterized by itchiness, erythema, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become lichenification, thick ...

. They have a useful depth of up to 5 mm. In some locations, orthovoltage treatment is being replaced by

electron therapy Electron therapy or electron beam therapy (EBT) is a kind of external beam radiotherapy where electrons are directed to a tumor site for medical treatment of cancer. Equipment Electron beam therapy is performed using a medical linear accelerator. ...

brachytherapy Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. ''Brachy'' is Greek for short. Brachytherapy is commonly used as an effective treatment for cervical, prosta ...

. As well as

teletherapy External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the most common form of radiotherapy (radiation therapy). The patient sits or lies on a couch and an external source of ionizing radiation is pointed at a particular part of the body. In contrast to brachyt ...

, X-rays in this energy range (and the low orthovoltage range) are used for imaging patients, to analyse materials and objects in

industrial radiography Industrial radiography is a modality of non-destructive testing that uses ionizing radiation to inspect materials and components with the objective of locating and quantifying defects and degradation in material properties that would lead to the f ...

and for

crystallography Crystallography is the experimental science of determining the arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids. Crystallography is a fundamental subject in the fields of materials science and solid-state physics (condensed matter physics). The wor ...

References

External links

Xstra Learning Portal
X-rays Radiation therapy {{Dermatology-stub