New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 20 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Chapter 3 - RADIATION PROTECTION
Part 11 - CABINET X-RAY SYSTEMS
Section 20.3.11.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Access panel" means any barrier or panel which is designed to be removed or opened for maintenance or service purposes, requires tools to open, and permits access to the interior of the cabinets.

B. "Aperture" means any opening in the outside surface of the cabinet, other than a port, which remains open during generation of x-radiation.

C. "Cabinet x-ray system" means an x-ray system with the x-ray tube installed in an enclosure (hereinafter termed "Cabinet") which, independently of existing architectural structures except the floor on which it may be placed, is intended to contain at least that portion of a material thing irradiated, provide radiation attenuation, and exclude personnel from its interior during generation of x-radiation. Included are all x-ray systems designed primarily for the inspection of carry-on baggage at airline, railroad, and bus terminals, and in similar facilities. An x-ray tube used within a shielded part of a building, or x-ray equipment that may temporarily or occasionally incorporate portable shielding is not considered a cabinet x-ray system.

D. "Door" means any barrier which is designed to be removable or opened for routine operation purposes, does not generally require tools to open, and permits access to the interior of the cabinet. For the purposes of Section 1103.D.1 [Paragraph (1), Subsection D of 20.3.11.1103 NMAC], inflexible hardware rigidly affixed to the door shall be considered part of the door.

E. "Exposure" means the quotient of dQ divided by dm where dQ is the absolute value of the total charge of the ions of one sign produced in air when all the electrons (negatrons and positrons) liberated by photons in a volume element of air having mass dm are completely stopped in air.

F. "External surface" means the outside surface of the cabinet x-ray system, including the high-voltage generator, doors, access panels, latches, control knobs, and other permanently mounted hardware and including the plane across any aperture or port.

G. "Floor" means the underside external surface of the cabinet.

H. "Ground Fault" means an accidental electrical grounding of an electrical conductor.

I. "Port" means any opening in the outside surface of the cabinet which is designed to remain open, during generation of x-rays, for the purpose of conveying material to be irradiated into and out of the cabinet, or for partial insertion of an object whose dimensions do not permit complete insertion into the cabinet.

J. "Primary beam" means the x-radiation emitted directly from the target and passing through the window of the x-ray tube.

K. "Safety interlock" means a device which is intended to prevent the generation of x-radiation when access by any part of the human body to the interior of the cabinet x-ray system through a door or access panel is possible.

L. "X-ray system" means an assemblage of components for the controlled generation of x-rays.

M. "X-ray tube" means any electron tube which is designed for the conversion of electrical energy into x-ray energy.