What will reduce patient radiation dose?

Using Kevlar cassette fronts effectively reduces patient radiation dose due to the material's unique properties. Kevlar is known for its strong yet lightweight characteristics, which can provide enhanced radiation attenuation. When used as a front for radiographic cassettes, it can absorb lower-energy photons that contribute little to image quality while allowing higher-energy photons to pass through for better imaging. This selectivity helps minimize the overall radiation exposure to patients without compromising the quality of the diagnostic image.

In contrast, the other options do not have the same beneficial effect in terms of minimizing radiation dose. Increasing the thickness of the aluminum tabletop could potentially lead to more absorption of radiation, but it might also require higher radiation doses to compensate, thus negating any benefits. Using more radio-absorbent cassette fronts may absorb a wider range of radiation, but it could result in missing critical diagnostic information. Increasing grid ratio is typically used to improve image quality by reducing scatter radiation; however, it usually requires a corresponding increase in radiation dose to maintain image clarity, which is contrary to the goal of reducing patient exposure.