What is the purpose of collimation in radiology?

Collimation in radiology refers to the process of narrowing the beam of radiation to focus only on the area of interest. This technique is crucial for several reasons, one of the most significant being the reduction of the patient's radiation dose. By limiting the exposure area, collimation minimizes the amount of surrounding tissue that is exposed to radiation, thereby decreasing the overall radiation dose a patient receives during imaging procedures.

Additionally, collimation can improve image quality by reducing scatter radiation, which can lead to clearer images. However, the primary concern in radiology is ensuring patient safety, making the reduction of dose a paramount purpose of collimation. Properly collimating the beam also aids in ensuring that only the necessary region is included in the imaging, avoiding unnecessary exposure to healthy tissues.

While proper patient positioning is important for effective imaging, it is not the primary purpose of collimation. Likewise, increasing exposure time is counterintuitive to the goals of collimation since the aim is to minimize excess radiation exposure. Therefore, focusing the radiation beam through collimation primarily serves to protect patients by reducing the radiation dose they receive.