Dose reduction in paediatric radiology using rare earth filtration.

Rare earth filters are known to reduce radiation dose in radiological investigations. The present investigation used Er and Sm filters that were selected because of their chemical stability and ability to withstand prolonged exposure to the atmosphere. They were used in a comparison with a conventional aluminium filter in a range of paediatric radiological procedures. Introduction of the filters instead of the conventional filter, resulted in a dose reduction of up to twofold with no discernible deterioration in image quality.