Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) II - Video Lesson

Hey, everybody. Welcome back. This video is about advanced topics in AEC. That's automatic exposure role. Remember that when using AEC, the technologist still sets the KVP based on the part and the patient size, technologist still sets the MA, but the AEC system controls the exposure time and therefore the total mass. The receptor exposure is measured by the AEC system by ionization chambers. Again, you can think of these ionization chambers as buckets. These chambers collect radiation during the exposure. Once the bucket is full, the exposure shuts off. Most of the time, the bucket is the same size for every patient because the receptor exposure needed for a good image is the same. Smaller patients absorb less radiation, so the bucket takes less time to fill. That's a short exposure time and a small mass.