Radiographic processing is necessary for the 

production of the useful visible image.

It links exposure to interpretation and 

influences quality.

Replenishing is necessary to sustain the chemical 

volume and activity in the processor 

equipment function and problems are discussed 

with special emphasis placed on the factors 

involved in the calculation of correct replenishing 

rates.

The theory of processing tells us that there 

is a specific time,

temperature and activity relationship,

specifically within this category.

We can talk about the time of development,

the or a fixer for that matter,

or the temperature of development or fixation 

and then we have the chemical activity a given chemical 

activity.

We start off with fresh chemistry and 

it's in a known condition,

unknown state.

As we use the chemistry,

whether it's developer or the fixer,

the chemistry is altered and as it alters,

we would need a different time and temperature 

relationship to maintain a given quality 

sensitive metric lee of our final visible 

image,

the radiograph.

Now,

it's obviously quite difficult to constantly 

be changing the time and temperature to compensate for the 

change in chemistry.

But exactly,

that's what is needed unless we come up with a 

way in which we can uh pretty 

much have a degree of confidence in the chemistry.

And this method of maintaining confidence in the 

chemistry.

In other words,

keeping it at a given state,

given chemical activity level,

is through the use of a replenishment system.

The replenishment system basically 

replenish is a volume.

Chemically speaking,

that is it replenishes the volume to compensate 

for evaporation and deterioration due 

to uh carry 

out of the chemistry or due to 

splatter and things of this nature.

But we also need to regenerate the chemical activity 

again due to evaporation.

But more important due to chemical contamination 

due to fumes or chemistry being flipped 

around by the trailing edge of the film 

or simply because the chemistry is being 

used.

We know that in the developer we have use oxidation 

in the fixture.

We also have a degree of use oxidation.

The fixer as such as would be diluted by the 

bringing in of the developer which would dilute 

the fixer.

And of course we have the uh function 

of the fixer which takes silver out of the film.

And this film for the silver accumulation within the 

fixer also alters the fixture's ability 

to properly neutralize the developer,

clear the film and finally harden the emotion.

So let's consider first the developer,

the developer is the most important and let's consider the 

oxidation aspects of the developer.

Remember that we want to really regenerate 

this chemical activity.

It would be permissible to talk about the 

regeneration system.

So in this slide we can see that there are 

a number of ways the developers oxidized use 

oxidation is known about and this is primarily 

what we're doing when we regenerate chemistry.

We know that for every square inch of film that we process,

It has potential density.

That is,

there's an exposure,

there is a latent image that as that image is converted 

into black metallic silver.

There is the oxidation reduction reaction 

undertaken by the developer,

the developer becomes oxidized.

This is use oxidation and it's known about and it's 

understood and this is the real reason why the replenishment 

system was first developed.

There are other things which will cause developer 

oxidation for which we need to replenish the 

chemistry.

This would be Ariel,

both evaporation and oxidation,

foreign contamination by chemicals.

Haley's unknown highlights in the water 

fixer systems,

cleaners,

self Amick,

acid and chlorine based systems cleaners.

We also have heavy metals,

copper or such as a copper penny 

or mercury from a broken glass 

thermometer.

Or perhaps we might have under heavy metals,

a piece of 

materials such as a screw or 

wire,

something that's used as a makeshift 

attachment to hold components of the transport 

assembly together this metal.

If it's not,

stainless steel will deteriorate and in its 

deterioration will set up a reaction whereby the developer 

also is consumed.

There is another aspect to developer 

oxidation and it's sort of a combination between 

Ariel oxidation and use oxidation 

that is the developer is maintained and they stand by 

condition the processor operates for long 

periods of time.

The developer is heated and agitated 

however,

and this condition there is 

no feeding of films.

There is no activation of the replenishment system.

So therefore the chemistry is not uh 

maintain in a given state.

So this kind of activation deactivation of the 

developer has to be considered,

it's just long periods of being on standby 

without the feeding of films.

Remember if you will that the chemistry exists 

to work with the film.

So the more films you process,

the more consistent should be your chemistry.

Matter of fact,

many people find that it's unusual 

but it's fully predictable that the processing 

stability in surgery for instance is 

uh much different than would be the 

stability of the uh films processed in 

Main diagnostic of course.

Main diagnostic has many films and processing is 

more uniform.

The quality of the films will be more uniforms 

in this particular slide we C.

S.

Schematic of how the replenishment system is set up.

We start off with the replenishment tanks.

These tanks should be outside the processor and not 

underneath because of the excessive heat from the dryer compartment.

There should be floating lids to make sure that the replenishment 

chemistry once it's already mixed and hopefully 

mixed correctly will be maintained in the very best 

quality.

The floating lid will keep the air away from the chemistry.

A dust cover will keep debris out of the chemistry.

The chemistry then is pumped through filters and 

or a pump Either way based on the 

activation of a micro switch and the micro switch is 

activated by the passing of a film past the 

switch.

The switch maybe mechanical or it could be an air 

switch but in all cases generally there's a micro 

switch or a timing mechanism that will activate the 

replenishment pump.

The pump is either adjustable or 

if the pump is not adjustable,

then the chemistry is put through a flow meter and the flow 

meter would be adjustable.

Chemistry then goes on to the process tank 

to check replenishment.

The only place that we can check the replenishment rates 

to be actually very critical about it 

is to do it where the chemistry enters the tank 

or if that's difficult,

then we go to the highest point in the processor and that's 

usually the outlet side of the flow meters and 

we break the line there.

This particular diagram says that there is a 

checkpoint and this would be clamped off or tied 

up To check replenishment.

In this case we would simply clamp this line here.

Chemistry would take the line of least resistance which would be down this 

check line and we would have a collection vessel such as a 

graduate there and we would monitor the rates per 

14",

usually a 14 x 17 would be used to 

monitor or establish replenishment rates as a 

convenient way.

Normally,

when we talk about replenishment rates as based on 

14" of film travel,

That particular rate that we're using or that we're 

selecting is not necessarily the amount of chemistry 

required by that 14",

travel distance is just a convenience.

A convenient way of setting up this replenishment rate.

The rate that we're choosing For the 

14",

it really works out to be so many CCS per 

inch of travel and the 

replenishment micro switch is only activated by 

length of travel,

not by the width or the density.

So we have to take an estimation of the 

average number of films in involved 

in the average department if such a thing does 

exist and thereby come up with a replenishment 

rate that under this intermix size,

random selection of sizes,

average density on the film situation.

We'll have a chemical replenishment system 

that will give us a balanced chemistry under all of these 

conditions.

So you can see that the replenishment system,

whereas it appears rather simple in a schematic form,

insofar as the components involved actually 

turns out to be the most complicated of all the processes 

systems or processing systems.

The complexity of the replenishment system 

comes under scrutiny when we see that there are 

many things that need to be considered in 

establishing the correct rate and then once that 

rate is established and we have 

sustained the chemical activity day after day,

then this system is relatively 

simple.

So it's the operators work is brainpower 

in figuring out how to sustain chemical activity 

that requires quite a bit of study.

And we will consider these as we go along in this lecture.

Looking at the system in a little greater depth,

we see we have replenishment tanks.

The replenishment tanks as such.

Well,

very in head pressure,

depending on how low we allow the solution to get before 

we refill the replenishment rate should be set 

when the tank is about half full and then as you 

fill the tank up the rest of the way,

we will get a slight increase in replenishment as it 

falls lower as it's consumed.

There will be a drop in replenishment rates because there's a lack 

of head pressure so the variant head pressure 

will influence the pump.

The pump itself,

therefore is uh its accuracy is going to 

change but the pump may not be very 

reproducible.

That is to say that at for instance,

25 gallons one day you may get 

70 ccs and the next time you may get 100 

or 50 ccs.

So there's both the accuracy and the 

reproducibility of the pumping 

system relative to the replenishment tanks and head pressure.

Again,

we see the floating lids.

The floating lid on the fixed tank is not so important for aerial 

oxidation and preservation of the 

fixer as it is in the case of the developer,

but it does help to cut down on fumes and it does help to 

keep debris out of the system.

There should of course also be dust covers over the 

entire tank.

Next we have the filters in this case 

and then the chemistry will go to the 

pump.

This particular pump is the Gorman Rupp,

which is the name of the manufacturer.

Gorman Rupp to solution.

There are two pumps to solution Diaphragm 

metering pump.

It is a diaphragm type of pump and in the 

pump assembly,

there's a little cam that presses on the diaphragm to push the 

chemistry out as the cam 

is split as it moves past the 

diaphragm retracts and sucks in new chemistry.

And there are check valves in the system by adjusting 

the position of the pump head next to this oscillating 

cam with the adjustment screw,

we can alter the replenishment rate.

This is the most popular type of pump that is found 

in the X ray processor.

The chemistry then we'll go through a flow meter in almost all 

processors.

The flow meter does not monitor the quantity of 

flow.

It only indicates whether or not there is any 

flow,

so it is not a measuring device or a regulatory device.

It only indicates flow.

A few exceptions would be the Kodak 

M six a.m. Samat and 

perhaps the Sakura QX Matic for 

the QX 1200.

The chemistry then will go into the various 

tanks and again to check 

replenishment.

We would stop the flow and you will find the flow 

meters will be up to the highest point in the processor 

and from the top of the flow meter,

it flows downhill into the tanks so that's a good 

place to break the circuit to monitor the 

actual chemistry that would be going into these 

tanks.

Now,

this particular pump that we see here is the go 

to solution diaphragm metering pump.

We have our inlets and outlets.

This pump will handle both the developer and the fixer 

as a maximum capacity of 800 ccs 

behind it.

We see the entrance detector assembly from a Kodak 

processor,

in which case we have micro switches 

and two rollers as the film passes 

between these rollers,

they are forced apart,

and as the upper roller moves it floats the bottom 

ones pin that raises the micro switch,

turning on the pump and the pump then will 

push the chemistry into the tank to replace that,

which is going to be consumed by the passage of this film.

The adjustments are up here,

there are little slots in these pumps,

adjustments for the pumps.

The adjustment slot has a little friction 

spring that does make a clicking sound as it's 

rotated.

Each click as such will vary 

between two and six C six or 

eight ccs per click,

so it's not constant,

it depends on head pressure and so forth.

The M six A.

N processor from Kodak uses a magnetic 

drive centrifugal pump.

There is a magnetic drive,

a big magnet attached to the main drive motor that drives a 

smaller magnet inside the pump head.

So the chemistry has nothing to do with the drive motor 

as such.

They are separate by a plastic wall that is the 

interface between the two magnets.

We have the inlet and the outlet on 

all these magnetic drive centrifugal pumps.

The inlet will be to the center of the outlet on the side.

This particular activating device,

we have a little arm attached to the movable 

upper roller and you can see the serrations of these rollers.

They fit together as a tongue and groove configuration.

This upper roller will move with the passage of 

film and the little arm then will 

activate a micro switch,

which is permanently mounted on 

the wall structure,

the bulkhead of the processor.

There is a basic problem with these micro 

switches and that is that they are often subject to chemical 

fumes and then they therefore will fail.

The profits.

Ray uses a system that employs a timer 

and that means that the pump will pump at a higher 

capacity,

but it doesn't pump every time a film enters the processor,

the time is accumulated on the timer and then the pump 

turns on for a period of time pumping at a very high 

rate,

supplying all the chemistry required over a 10 minute 

period.

So for some percent of 10 minutes the pump will 

run and therefore it's called a percentage timer system 

and we can adjust the amount of pumping by altering the 

timer.

This particular unit uses air from a blower 

that will elevate this diaphragm and when the 

film breaks the air switch,

the diaphragm falls,

turning on the micro switch because this 

diaphragm assembly and the switch are 

located underneath the feed tray and away from 

the chemical fumes.

Then we find that this system basically is foolproof.

It's foolproof into the,

to the extent that the micro switches 

protected its way from the chemical fumes,

which can can damage the switch or lock it into a 

position and keep it from working and thereby fail 

to activate the system.

So uh,

this is something to consider insofar as micro switch,

uh,

effectiveness and methods should be 

obtained whereby we can try to protect micro switches or keep them 

free of chemical debris 

in this particular slide,

we see a new kind of 

pump,

it's called the Bellows pump.

It's made by Gorman Rupp,

the same company that made the diaphragm pump,

but this particular pump is much less 

expensive and it's far superior in its 

activity insofar as reproducibility 

and accuracy.

The Gorman Rupp Bellows pump is 

much less susceptible to 

head pressure variations and therefore is more 

accurate.

So it might be considered as a replacement.

Should your older pumps start to fail and require 

reconstruction or maintenance,

just consider installing the new Bellows pump 

in their place because to repair the old one will cost almost 

as much as repairing repairing this new one.

Bellows pump in a head 

pressure variation of some 36 inches,

which is characteristic of a 30 gallon replenishment tank.

The Bellows pump will vary about 3% 

whereas the pump is going to replace the magnetic drive 

centrifugal pump or the former 

to solution Diaphragm type of metering pump from 

Gorman rob These pumps are subject able 

to head pressure variations and they can vary as much as plus or 

minus 50% And they do cost several 

$100 and are expensive.

So this is the way that we can improve the equipment 

to improve the efficiency and hopefully improve the 

quality of our radiographs 

in this processor.

We see the two solution diaphragm pump,

this is an opaque role model X.

And it's sitting there is a little tray here that the pump is sitting 

on and this 

processor,

a Kodak processor.

We again we'll see the same pump used.

So we have this diaphragm type pump 

used in post processors.

Now we can see here the unit and 

we see the oxidized tubing,

the old tubing.

We see some leeks and of course if there's any leaks,

this kind of a pump will pump air,

it is self priming but once it starts to pump air it doesn't know if 

it's pumping air or chemistry.

And of course then we will cut our rates right in half and the 

chemistry in the processor will start to deteriorate 

as it starts to deteriorate.

The first thing that goes will be the hydroquinone.

Hydroquinone controls the 

shoulder controls the D max and the 

contrast and the first thing you should notice with 

deteriorating chemistry regardless of the cause 

will be a falling off of the shoulder.

A deactivation of the total development 

activity and we lose the shoulder,

we lose control of the shoulder and in doing that 

we will lose speed as you see here.

Film B has less density for an equal exposure,

so we lose speed,

we lose density and we also will lose 

contrast.

We know the contrast enhances the visibility of detail 

is and is important to the visualization of 

of information and making the diagnosis 

replenishment rates.

Well,

the developer can vary from 50 to 100 CCs 

per 14 inches.

Most modern hospitals operate at a level around 60 

to 70 CCs.

The fixer will run 90 to 150 

normally there should be no reason to go much higher than that 

because of the way the fixer works in its function of 

clearing and regenerating itself,

wash water flow.

Well this is replenishment also 1,

2,

3 gallons per minute.

And this will vary and this is monitored by 

archival quality.

The developer activity is monitored by sensitive 

geometry 

factors affecting the calculation of the replenishment rate.

We can first start off with the replenishment tank because I 

mentioned,

the balancing of replenishment rates 

is quite difficult and it takes a lot of work on the part of 

the operator.

So we first want to look at the kind of equipment we have 

and we also want to consider some of the factors 

that are involved in 

choosing the correct replenishment rate 

and this also allows us to see how the various components 

and pieces of equipment will operate insofar 

as affecting replenishment rate 

and going back to the slide.

Then we'll consider first the replenishment tank,

the size of the tank,

how much chemistry you have in it,

The larger the tank,

that means that you're going to have more pressure pushing on the 

pump and with increased pressure.

Well,

that's all right,

as long as you know about it.

But what happens when this great quantity?

Let's say you have a 50 gallon tank?

What happens when this tank drains down and there 

is reduced pressure?

Well,

the difference of head pressure will be 

greater with a larger tank.

Then let's say if we had only a five gallon tank sitting on the 

floor,

it would be very big at all.

But if we take the same five gallon tank and put it up over top of the 

processor,

then we have increased the head pressure again and we'd have to consider 

that used to the floating lid.

It's one thing to replenish the chemistry accurately.

It's another to be replenishing the chemistry with 

bad developer.

We need a floating lid to make sure that our replenish your 

chemistry is of the very best quality 

and hopefully it's been correctly mixed mixed.

But we need to make sure that it's of the best quality.

And then when we consider mixing 

and replenishing,

we know that we have at least tried to control these 

two variables.

So we have the accuracy of mixing.

Also,

the calibrated tank.

Most people will use a cylindrical 

or around replenishment tank.

This tank basically will fatigue at its 

lower extremity,

it will billow out,

it will bulge out.

And when this happens,

the calibration markings on the tank will alter.

This can happen sometimes as frequently as one month 

after installation.

So you need to calibrate the tank,

you need to make sure that calibration marks on the 

tank,

whether molded in or stenciled on are 

actually correct the location,

whether it's beside the processor or down the hall 

above the processor or below.

Some pumps cannot handle the 

distance other pumps become 

uh uh 

inaccurate if the tank is 

very large and moved far away some places 

you'll find that the tanks are one tank assembly 

might be feeding two or three processors and that 

one type of pump can handle this situation and 

other pumps in the in the series cannot 

frequency of mixing.

The more frequently you mix then and also 

the quantity I should point out these sort of go together,

but the more frequently you mix and the smaller quantities that you 

mix will allow you to have one basically 

better chemical activity levels.

The chemistry will always be the freshest possible.

And also you will minimize the head 

pressure variations.

So a basic photographic rule would be to 

uh mixture chemistry in the smallest batch,

that's convenient and reasonable but makes it more 

frequently.

So all of these things relate to the 

replenishment tank and the choosing 

of the correct replenishment rate 

here is a tank.

And as you can see,

this gentleman is cleaning out the tank.

Most people don't bother to and if they do,

they use lint producing rags or paper towels,

but the tank should be cleaned out periodically.

It's a matter of curiosity 

that ah I should point out that when you 

do mixed chemistry,

you added to the replenishment tank,

there may be some in the bottom,

some old chemistry,

maybe five gallons.

The basic rule here is that should you ever suspect the 

chemistry in the replenishment tank,

whether it be one gallon or 10 gallons,

If you suspect it and you add another 20 or 

30 gallons fresh developer to that 

suspect material.

Your new tank of 30 gallons of replenish 

your chemistry.

The whole tank is suspect it 

most likely is deteriorating.

So if you have a couple of gallons or 

five gallons of possibly deteriorated 

developer or oxidized developer 

contaminated or just simply you 

suspected being perhaps bad,

throw it away,

it's a very inexpensive investment,

throw it away,

clean it up.

Make fresh and while you're making your fresh calibrate 

your tank but never add the 

fresh developer into suspected developer.

Also never dumped the oxidized developer floating in 

a floating lid sitting on a floating lid.

Six ounces of oxidized developer,

for instance,

can deactivate 20 gallons of working 

solution that you would dump it back into.

Be very careful to lift out this oxidized developer in the floating 

lid and carried away.

Where do you carry it?

Two down the hall?

No,

because every processor has a building sink.

Just simply remove the wash rack and use the wash tank 

continuing.

Then we can see that a cylindrical tank insofar as 

calibrating it.

We can monitor and determine gallons 

by multiplying if you will 

0.34 times the diameter times 

the height.

A rectangular square tank can be measured by the 

length,

times width,

times height divided by 2 31.

The answer will be in gallons 

factors affecting calibration and calculation of the 

replication rate.

Again,

we have the pump,

flexible diaphragm type of pumps 

are spring loaded and they fatigue with time.

They allow the chemistry to force its way 

in and that means that you're going to pump more than what you would 

expect to pump.

The push pull type in which you have right angle 

drive as on the profits rate,

pumps.

The pushing of the head pressure is not 

sufficient to cause a flexing.

So these tend to be very accurate.

Besides that particular pump happens to run at a 

high capacity and therefore thereby 

sort of smooth out the variations that might be 

present with a low capacity system.

Magnetic drive centrifugal pumps are also 

subjected to head pressure.

These pumps basically are designed to be used in a closed loop 

system.

That means there is no push or pressure on 

the inlet or the ex exit side.

This is the type of pump that is normally used for search for 

circulation within the processor the bellows 

pump as I mentioned,

is a new one.

This pump is designed to be able to withstand his head pressure 

variation and to be very accurate.

Head pressure variation should be minimized to 

minimize the variation of the pump that's being 

used as we 

start off and put about 15 gallons in the 

tank and check our replenishment rate when 

it's half full and then go ahead and fill up the rest of the way up 

for our regular work.

We may find as a pumps that are prone to 

head pressure variation vary with age 

that we can approach as much as a 

variation that you see here plus or minus 

50% and that most assuredly is going to 

affect the chemical balance of the developer and the 

fixer and thereby influence the sensitive 

sense symmetric values of our radiographs 

insofar as calculation and calibration of replication rates.

Consider the processor tight.

Some of the processors will have large tanks,

36 gallon tanks.

The smaller tanks would be 123 

gallon tanks.

The larger the tank,

if there is a variation of head pressure or pumping 

accuracy,

then the larger tank with more chemistry will allow a 

period in which there can be a balancing out.

In other words,

you may be a little bit over for one day,

but you might be a little under the next and then the basic 

two day period we have a status quo insofar 

as acceptability of our chemistry activity 

processing cycle.

The faster the process of runs it will probably have a higher 

temperature which will influence the 

life of the chemistry,

the processing cycle.

The feed rate,

the more films that you can feed if you're replenishment rate is 

off five CCs per film let's say.

And you can do 1000 films a day.

That means you're off 5000 CCs or approximately a gallon 

and a quarter in as short as eight or 10 hours 

replenishment detection mechanism.

The mechanism may be prone to chemical 

confirm fumes and contamination and a major 

simply periodically fail to 

work.

And again,

the type of pump that's used in the processor 

that you have 

factors affecting calculation and calibration of the replication 

rate,

film usage,

the number of films process the random mix of film size 

is the amount of film that you may 

process and even there the Sydney film may not even activate 

your micro switch assembly,

the amount of cereal film,

column ation and the contrast level 

if you want,

for instance,

more contrast you would use a higher level.

If you do not column eight on serial films,

you would need a higher level and vice versa 

in checking replenishment rates.

Again,

we clamp off the line in this case,

in the Kodak M four X.

We clamp off the line,

the chemistry now as it's pumped down through the flow meters will 

come to this juncture.

Take the line of least resistance and go into our 

container.

This has to be held up high so that we do not 

affect head pressure accidentally.

In a PICO.

X.

U.

We have these injunction uh next 

and these are simply turned around placed into receiver 

cups.

Chemistry runs back down the tube to the uh 

pumps and we check it there.

And on this older PICO we take out this line which 

normally fits on the side of the pump,

Turn it around and somebody feeds the film for us to 

activate the replenishment system.

Many machines there is a bypass which that allows us to 

manually bypass and not feed a 

film and activate the system.

And here we use the graduate but notice it's held up high so that 

we do not diminish the head 

pressure level,

profits rate replenishment line is right here 

and there.

Notice that they have a red line for indicating the acid 

fixer.

We have replenishment check valves on this Kodak M5 

or M6 line.

These are pulled out but you 

should turn them as you pull them even though they're friction fits and 

you pull them out and you have a chemical bypass switch right 

here to activate for 14 or 

whatever period in seconds.

So this then is the replenishment system it's 

there to replace volume and to 

regenerate the chemical activity.

Yeah.

Mm hmm.

Mhm 

mm hmm.

Yeah.

Mm hmm mm 

hmm.