A method to absorb scattered radiation without attenuation of the primary beam

A method is presented for improving image quality by decreasing the scattered radiation. Two pairs of lead plates, one above and one below the patient, move in arcs with a common pivot point, the focal spot of the x-ray tube. The lower plates are separated by a 1-cm slot. The upper plates are also separated by a slot, the edges of which lie on common radii from the focal spot. The image is formed by moving the slots so that the X-ray beam emerging from the object sweeps across the film with a uniform speed during the exposure.