An electronic diode is a component that restricts the direction of movement of charge carriers. Mainly, a diode allows an electric current to flow in one direction, but blocks it in the opposite direction.

(H) The Hounsfield scale displays radiodensity in a linear scale of gray shades expressed in Hounsfield units (HU). The Hounsfield scale is a quantitative transformation of the attenuation coefficient.
The Hounsfield value -1000 is defined as the radiodensity of air, 0 H that of distilled water at standard pressure and temperature, and denser tissues like for example cranial bone can reach 2000 H. The radiation attenuation of dental fillings or artificial implants depends on atomic number of the elements used. Titanium usually has an amount of +1000 HU. Iron steel can have a density greater than the highest range (traditional 3095 H) covered by the standard Hounsfield scale of a CT scanner. Areas with attenuation coefficients that exceed the scale's maximum are white areas in which no detail is visible.
Some CT machines are relatively tolerant, precise representing regions with very high densities. Sometimes, an option is available to select an extended CT number scale.

(CA) Contrast agents are used to change the imaging characteristics, resulting in additional information about anatomy, morphology or physiology of the human body. Radiocontrast agents (also called photon-based imaging agents) are used to improve the visibility of internal body structures in x-ray and CT procedures. Contrast agents are also used to increase the contrast between different tissues in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and ultrasound imaging. The ideal imaging agent provides enhanced contrast with little biological interaction.
First investigations with radiopaque materials are done shortly after the discovery of x-rays. These positive contrast agents attenuate x-rays more than body soft tissues due to their high atomic weight. Iodine and barium have been identified as suitable materials with high radiodensity and are used until today in x-ray and CT contrast agents. Iodine-based contrast agents are water-soluble and the solutions are used nearly anywhere in the body. Iodinated contrast materials are most administered intravenous, but can also be introduced intraarterial, intrathecal, oral, rectal, intravesical, or installed in body cavities. Barium sulfate is only used for opacification of the gastrointestinal tract. Negative contrast agents attenuate x-rays less than body soft tissues, for example gas.

Iodinated contrast media are differentiated in;

Intravascular iodinated contrast agents are required for a large number of x-ray and CT studies to enhance vessels and organs dependent on the blood supply. Injectable contrast agents are diluted in the bloodstream and rapidly distributed throughout the extracellular fluid. The main route of excretion is through the kidneys, related to the poor binding of the agent to serum albumin. The liver (gall bladder) and small intestine provide alternate routes of elimination particularly in patients with severe renal impairment. The use of special biliary contrast agents is suitable for gallbladder CT and cholecystograms because they are concentrated by the liver to be detectable in the hepatic bile.
The introduction of fast multi-detector row CT technology, has led to the development of optimized contrast injection techniques. The amount of contrast enhancement depends on the contrast agent characteristics, such as iodine concentration, osmolality, viscosity, and the injection protocol, such as iodine flux and iodine dose. Adverse reactions are rare and have decreased with the introduction of nonionic contrast agents.
See also Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography, Abdomen CT, Contrast Media Injector, Single-Head CT Power Injector, Multi-Head Contrast Media Injector, Syringeless CT Power Injector, CT Power Injector.

X-ray tubes are devices for the production of x-rays. X-ray tubes consist of an evacuated glass vessel and two electrodes. An electrical current with very high voltage passes across the tube and accelerates electrons emitted by thermionic emission from a tungsten filament (cathode also called electron gun) towards the anode target. The electrons collide with the anode and this deceleration generates x-rays (bremsstrahlung).
The high vacuum allows the electron beam an unimpeded passage. The electron beam heats the anode (usually copper), which is cooled by water to prevent melting. A copper target emits x-rays with a characteristic wavelength. Other used metals soften or harden the x-ray beam.
The x-rays pass through a very thin beryllium (Be) foil. This beryllium window absorbs a high amount of the elastically scattered electrons (produced by the target) and allows the radiation to get out of the tube without substantial absorption.
In conventional x-ray tubes, the anode is also the target. In nanofocus and microfocus x-ray tubes, the electron beam is transmitted through a hole in the anode where it is then focused onto a small spot on the target.

See also X-Ray Tube Housing, Fine Focus X-Ray Tube, Transformer, Diode, Digital to Analog Converter and Angular Response.