Chemical, usually acetic acid in the fixer and sodium carbonate in the developer, to neutralize the developer and to swell the gelatin, respectively.

See also Film Processor and X-Ray Film.

A cassette is a thin, low x-ray absorption plastic case, for holding the x-ray film. Inside the cassette are intensifying screens for the conversion of x-rays to visible light photons. The intensifying screens are mounted in close contact with the film. Mammography cassettes are equipped with single screens.

A cinefluorography produces a movie (cine) film from an image intensifier during x-rays examinations (often called videofluorography, cineradiography or cine). Cinefluorography is always monitored on the TV screen normally used for fluoroscopy. The image from the output screen of the image intensifier is split with a semi-transparent mirror into two output ports; one leading to the movie camera and the other to the fluoroscopy camera. Most of the light is directed to the cine camera. The image on the monitor does not suffer in quality due to the fact that the tube current for cinefluorography is about 100 times higher than for common fluoroscopy.
The x-ray generator pulses are synchronized with the movements of the cine camera, so that no x-rays are emitted when the film is moved forward to the next frame. The needed very accurate synchronization of the x-ray generator can be achieved by use of high voltage switching in the secondary circuit of the constant potential x-ray generator, by starting and stopping the inverter in a medium frequency generator or by using a grid controlled x-ray tube.

The darkroom fog is an additional optical density on a film due to light leaks or safe lights in a darkroom. Darkroom fog degrades the film contrast and must be eliminated to ensure image quality.

Densitometry is a method to image the density of for example, the bones to measure the mineral content or lung tissue to quantify emphysema.
Densitometry is also used to control the optical density of x-ray films by shining light on the film and measuring the transmission with a densitometer.

See also Bone Densitometry and Osteo CT.