This document discusses the layout, planning, and equipment needs for a dark room. It should be located near imaging rooms for convenience and have adequate size, ventilation, and radiation protection. The dark room consists of a processing area with safelights, a viewing area, and storage space. Proper flooring, walls, lighting, and electrical/chemical safety measures should be implemented. Necessary equipment includes an automatic or manual film processor, chemicals, and storage/loading accessories.

1. LAYOUT AND PLANNING
OF DARK ROOM

2.  DARK ROOM
 PROCESSING AREA
 LAYOUT
 VIEWING AREA
 LOCATION & SIZE
 FLOOR,WALL,&CIELING
 RADIATION PROTECTION
 VENTILLATION AND HEATING
 ENTRANCE
 DARKROOM EQUIPMENTS
 LIGHTING
 SAFETY MEASURES

3.  Place where necessary
handling and processing of
light sensitive film can be
carried out safely and
efficiently
 Area from where a latent
image is converted to a visible
image
DARK ROOM

4.  Processing facilities should be placed in close
proximity to where the work of the radiographer
is carried out.
 These minimizes the no. of processor required,
the time and efforts of radiographer spent
walking from imaging room to processor.

6. Layout of a automatic processing dark room

7.  Processed film can be seen by Viewing box & spotlight
 Contiguous with the processing area or same space
 Area of viewing, checking and sorting of films
 Out of sight and patient areas
Furnishings include-
 Work surfaces
 Filling compartments
 Cassette storage rack
 Viewing boxes and spotlight

8.  Centrally sited, serviced by hatches from
adjacent imaging rooms
 Away from hot area
 Accessible to adequate power and water supplies
 Adjoining a viewing area where processed
film can be checked &stored.

9. Minimum floor area-10m²
Ceiling height-2.5-3m
Size may be reduced depending
upon the department needs
SIZE

10. FLOOR
Dry Darkroom- Floor should be:-
 Durable and easy to maintain.
 Light colored material used.
 E.g: plastic tiles
With processors inside- The floor should be:-
 Non-porous
 Non-slippery
 Resistant to staining by chemicals.

11.  asphalt tiles
 porcelain tiles
 clay tiles
 plastic tiles may be used in the dry dark-
rooms

12.  Light in color
 Easy to wipe over and clean
 covered with chemical resistant materials
 special paints, varnish, ceramic or plastic wall

13.  A good air-conditioning system
 Extractor fan
 Related humidity maintained at around 40- 60%
 Minimum of air changes per hour
 room temp-18-20°C
 Hot water radiators

14.  Walls- Lead shielding if adjacent to X-ray
room
 1/16 inch of lead in the walls
 coating with barium plaster/building them with
greater thickness
 Doors-lined with lead ply sheet
 Radiation monitoring-TLD

15. Four designs of entrances
 1. Single door system
 2. Double door system
 3. Labyrinth
 4. Rotating door entrance

16.  Door should capable for totally excluding light and
cannot be opened inadequately.
 Link door locking mechanism with lighting circuit,
that preventing door from being opened.
 inexpensive.
 Capable of releasing the lock from outside in case
of emergency

17.  An electrical
interlock
can be
fitted –one
door cannot
be opened
until the
other is
closed

18. Labyrinth
 It has two parallel passages and a facing wall.
 Entire passage and walls are painted black.
 Length 3 m
 Height 2 m
 Each passage width-700 mm
 Emergency door

19.  1. Easy and instant
access..
 2. Continuous
darkroom
ventilation.
 3.Large amount
off space occupied
.

20.  Metallic cylinder with opening at one end
for entry & exit
 Less space is occupied

21. WHITE LIGHT
 equipment repair and
darkroom cleaning
SAFELIGHT
 During film processing

22. FILM TRAY
25W

23.  Necessary for-
 Inspection and maintenance of screen
 Cleaning of work surfaces and floors
 Servicing of equipment
 White lighting should be-
 Cited close to ceiling to avoid casting of strong
shadows
 Moderate in intensity in order to make visual
accommodation under safelight easier
 Preferably centrally placed

24.  Safe lighting -colored filters, certain wavelengths
absorbed by filters-whilst those wavelength which
correspond to the color of the filter will be transmitted
 Filters –Sheet of gelatin dyed to the appropriate color-
sandwiched between two sheets of glass for protection
 Use of dim,colored lighting
 Provide sufficient illumination, manipulate and
process film
 No significant fogging will occur

25.  AUTOMATIC PROCESSOR
 MANUAL PROCESS UNIT
 PROCESSING CHEMICALS
 HANGERS FOR SUSPENDING FILM
 CASSETTE
 FILM STORAGE HOPPER
 LOADING BENCH
 CUPBOARDS

30. DARK ROOM DRY BENCH SYSTEM

32. GENERAL
ELECTRICAL
CHEMICAL

33.  All electrical equipments to be sited well away
from sinks & manual processing units
 Adequate earthing of all electrical appliances
 No trailing cables from appliances
 Pull-cord switching for lights

34.  The maximum level of safe lighting consistent with
film sensitivity
 Adequate ventilation
 Second exits for fire safety

35.  Processing chemicals contain many toxic
substances.
 Staff should be advised to read product labels &
mixing instructions before handling solutions

36.  Chesney’s Radiographic Imaging.