filter (redirected from filters)

filter /fil·ter/ (fil´ter)

1. a device for eliminating or separating certain elements, as (1) particles of certain size from a solution, or (2) rays of certain wavelength from a stream of radiant energy.

2. to cause such separation or elimination.

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membrane filter  a filter made up of a thin film of collodion, cellulose acetate, or other material, available in a wide range of pore sizes.

Millipore filter  trademark for any of a variety of membrane filters.

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fil·ter (fltr)

n.

1. A porous material through which a liquid or gas is passed in order to separate the fluid from suspended particulate matter.

2. A device containing such a substance.

3. Any of various electric, electronic, acoustic, or optical devices used to reject signals, vibrations, or radiations of certain frequencies while passing others.

4. A translucent screen, used in both diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, that permits the passage of rays having desirable levels of energy.

5. A device used in spectrophotometric analysis to isolate a segment of the spectrum.

v.

1. To pass a liquid or gas through a filter.

2. To remove by passing through a filter.

3. To pass through or as if through a filter.

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filter

Etymology: Fr, filtrer, to strain

1 a device or material through which a gas or liquid is passed to separate out unwanted matter.

2 (in radiology) a device added to radiographic equipment that selectively removes low-energy x-rays that have no chance of reaching the film. Examples include bow-tie, compensating, and conic filters.

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filter,

n a material placed in the useful beam to absorb preferentially the less energetic (less penetrating) radiations. See also filtration.

filter, added,

n a filter added to the inherent filter.

filter, compensating,

n a filter designed to shield less dense areas so that a more uniform image quality will be produced.

filter, inherent,

n the filtration introduced by the glass wall of the radiographic tube, any oil used for tube immersion, or any permanent tube enclosure in the path of useful beam.

filter, orange,

n the recommended safelight filter for darkroom illumination when processing intraoral film only. Also called filter type ML-2.

filter, red,

n the recommended safelight filter for darkroom illumination when processing either intraoral or extraoral film. Also called filter type GBX-2.

filter, total,

n the sum of inherent and added filters.

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filter

a device for eliminating certain elements, as (1) particles of certain size from a solution, (2) bacteria and fungi from suspensions of virus, or (3) rays of certain wavelength from a stream of radiant energy.

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bacteria-proof filter

see berkefeld's filter, pasteur-chamberland filter, millipore filter.

Wood's filter

a nickel-oxide filter that holds back all but a few violet rays and passes ultraviolet rays of about 365 nm. See also wood's light.

x-ray filter

see grid (1).

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filter

Material or device used to absorb or transmit light of all wavelengths equally (neutral density filter which is abbreviated ND filter) or selectively, such as the coloured filters (blue filter transmits only blue light, green filter transmits only green light, etc.). See optical density; absorptive lens; neutral density filter test; optical wedge.
bandpass filter A filter that allows the passage of radiations only within a narrow band of wavelengths around a central wavelength. This is done by multilayer coating, which produces destructive interference. See coating; coated lens.
green filter A filter which transmits only green light. It may be used in ophthalmoscopy to increase the contrast of the blood vessels to the background facilitating the visibility of retinal circulation defects, haemorrhages and microaneurysms and the distinction between retinal and choroidal lesions. However, ophthalmoscopes actually use a filter that transmits a certain amount of red light, as otherwise the observation would be so dark as to make it extremely difficult. Syn. red-free filter.
interference filter A coloured filter consisting of five layers, two outside glass, two intermediate evaporated metal films and one central evaporated layer of transparent material. These filters act not by absorption of light but by destructive interference for all except a very narrow band of wavelengths, which are transmitted. Syn. coloured filter.
neutral density filter  See filter.
red filter A filter that transmits only red light. It may be used in ophthalmoscopy to facilitate viewing the yellow macular pigment, but other structures are seen with less contrast. It also produces a larger pupil allowing observation of a larger fundus area.
red-free filter See green filter.
Wood's filter See Wood's light.

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filter

Imaging A layer of absorbing material, usually a metal–eg, Al, Cu, Pb, Sn that increases the ratio of hard X-rays to soft X-rays, the latter of which are of greater diagnostic value, given their ability to penetrate the imaged tissues. See Radiation Medtalk A device used to separate one material from another. See Absolute filter, Adhesion filter, Blood filter, Inferior vena cava filter, Microaggregate filter, Red-free filter, Standard filter, Water filter.