What term refers to the total radiation that exits from the patient during exposure and strikes the receptor?

The term that refers to the total radiation exiting the patient and striking the receptor is remnant radiation. This type of radiation is a combination of primary radiation that has penetrated the patient and any scatter radiation produced as the primary beam interacts with tissues. As such, remnant radiation is what ultimately reaches the imaging sensor or film to create an image.

Primary radiation refers specifically to the original beam produced by the x-ray tube before any interaction with the patient, while scattered radiation is that which has changed direction due to interactions within the patient’s body. Reflected radiation is not commonly used in this context, as it does not refer to the radiation exiting the patient. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in fields such as radiography and medical imaging, where accurate terminology is essential for diagnosing and creating quality images.