Hello,

I have managed to acquire a very large supply of 8x10 medical film. I assume it is for x-ray imaging, such as Kodak EGT-1 Ektascan GT. Are there any applications for which I can do anything with this film? Preferably none involving radiation! I have 1100 sheets (11 boxes). I would hate to just throw it away.

thanks,

paul schuster

-- paul schuster (paul@schusterphoto.com), May 22, 2000

Answers

Paul: I can't find that film listed in my Kodak Professional Photographic Catalog. Call the professional division at 1-800-242- 2424 and they can help. It is probably in the Kodak Specialty Films listing...probably a seperate catalog. Kodak makes all kinds of film a lot of folks never hear about. Hope this helps. Doug.

-- Doug Paramore (dougmary@alanet.com), May 22, 2000.

I used gobbs of the stuff when I was in grad school and continue to use a fair bit of it still. I use it to detect radioactive decay, and not exposing it to light, so I can't tell you anything about speed, but I can tell you that it is really grainy and really contrasy. It is also only sensitive to blue light (no sensitizing dyes used in the emulsion. It might be usefully put to some art project.

-- Fritz M. Brown (brownf@idhw.state.id.us), May 22, 2000.

I thought all the Ektascan films were for Kodak's direct to film laser printers, are sensitive to either IR or red HeNe light depending on which model they are supposed to be used with. That is, they are not the normal blue-sensitive X-ray emulsions.

Kodak has information about the current Ektascan films on www.kodak.com, including the developers that should be used. If Paul's Ektascan is similar it is capable of very long tonal range results (these films are used for printing medical X-rays with very large dynamic range) and good, fine grain. Since they're made to be exposed with lasers I'd guess they're pretty slow. Kodak professional services will know.

-- Struan Gray (struan.gray@sljus.lu.se), May 23, 2000.

My mistake. I was thinking of the X-omat film.

-- Fritz M. Brown (brownf@idhw.state.id.us), May 23, 2000.

Many medical imaging films have emulsion coated on both sides of the base. This would probably lead to unsharp images if used in a camera.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), May 25, 2000.