What is used to reduce both patient dose and the production of scatter radiation?

Collimation is a technique employed in radiographic imaging that focuses the x-ray beam to a specific area, limiting the exposure to only the necessary region of interest. By narrowing the beam, collimation not only reduces the amount of radiation that reaches the patient but also minimizes the production of scatter radiation. Scatter radiation occurs when the primary x-ray beam interacts with matter, such as the tissues of the patient, causing secondary radiation that is often not useful for the diagnostic image and can increase the dose to the patient.

This focused beam results in clearer images with higher contrast and reduces the amount of radiation that could potentially be absorbed by the patient’s surrounding tissues. As such, collimation is an essential practice in radiology to enhance image quality while ensuring patient safety through dose reduction.

While other options like grid ratio, filtration, and beam restrictors also play roles in radiation management or image quality, they do not specifically address both the reduction of patient dose and the production of scatter radiation in the same effective manner as collimation does.