What is one of the primary purposes of X-ray filtration?

One of the primary purposes of X-ray filtration is to reduce patient dose. Filtration involves placing a material, usually aluminum, in the path of the X-ray beam. This process helps to absorb low-energy X-ray photons that do not contribute to image formation. These lower-energy photons can add unnecessary radiation exposure to the patient without improving the diagnostic quality of the image. By removing these less useful, scattered X-rays from the beam, filtration effectively lowers the overall dose of radiation the patient receives while maintaining the necessary quality for diagnostic purposes.

In addition to reducing patient dose, filtration can help improve the quality of the X-ray beam, but the specific emphasis in this case is on the reduction of dose. This concerns both patient safety and adherence to the principle of keeping radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).