Different types of screens are used in medical imaging. The intensifying screen or a pair of screens is used with x-ray film in radiography. Fluorescent screens coated with phosphor crystals emit light when exposed to radiation.

An intensifying screen is used to intensify the x-ray effect during radiation exposure of the x-ray film. Approximately 5% of the x-ray photons will be absorbed by the film only. Intensifying screens consist of a sheet of inorganic salts that emits fluorescent light when stroked by x-rays. The fluorescent input and output screens of the image intensifier are very similar to intensifying screens.
Calcium tungstate and rare earths are two common salts (also called phosphors) used for intensifying screens. For example, a calcium tungstate (CaWo4) screen can absorb around 40% of the x-ray photons and convert the radiation into light photons. A basic feature of this screen types is related to the position of the k-edge on the energy axis. Tungsten (W) is a heavy element has a k-edge at 69.5 keV, while that for rare earth elements is in around 50 keV.
The fraction of x-rays absorbed by a screen is depending on the speed. Factors affecting the speed of a screen: Mammography cassettes contain usually one intensifying screen, but most others use two screens per film cassette. The intensifying screen as part of a film screen system has been an important component in radiology to reduce the radiation dose of the patient. Today, the conventional film cassette is being replaced by an imaging plate used in digital systems.

See also Actinides, Cinefluorography and Added Filtration.

Mammography is a diagnostic imaging procedure of the breast to detect and evaluate breast disease. Mammography is widely used as a screening method and plays a key role in early breast cancer detection.
The screening mammography is used to detect breast changes in women who have no signs or symptoms or noticed breast abnormalities. The goal is to detect a breast tumor before any clinical signs are observable.
A diagnostic mammography is used to investigate suspicious breast changes, such as a breast lump, an unusual skin appearance, breast pain, nipple thickening or nipple discharge.
A breast screening or standard mammography requires two mammograms from different angles of each breast including craniocaudal view and mediolateral view. Additional images can be made from other angles or focus on microcalcifications or other suspicious areas.
A mammogram is created by special mammography equipment with long wavelength of the used x-rays. Film-screen mammography is still the most widely used technology, but the state of the art technique is digital mammography. Conventional x-ray equipment was used to produce mammograms until dedicated mammography equipment became available in the late 1960s. Film-screen mammography and xeromammography, introduced in the early 1970s, used lower radiation doses and produced sharper mammograms. The second generation of mammography systems has been introduced in the early 1980s. Chief disadvantages of analog mammography include the labor-intensive handling of the cassettes, relatively slow processing time, the lack of a direct interface to the x-ray system, and no post processing possibilities.
Mammograms of high quality should be done with the lowest radiation dose as possible. Adequate breast compression is important due to shortening of the exposure times, immobilization of the breast, reduction of motion and blurring and prevention of overpenetration by means of equalizing breast thickness.
Further breast imaging procedures include breast ultrasound and breast MRI.

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.

Xeromammography or xeroradiography is a breast imaging. Xeroradiography uses photoelectric records of x-ray images on a coated metal plate. Xeromammography as distinct from film-screen mammography uses low-energy photon beams, long exposure times and dry chemical developers.
Although xeromammography has sensitivity and specificity comparable with those of a film-screen mammogram, it is not recommended for screening or diagnostic mammography because of maintenance problems and the need for higher breast radiation doses compared with modern low dose mammography equipment.