High contrast visually adaptive radiographic film and imaging assembly for thoracic imaging

This invention is directed to a very high contrast radiographic film that can be rapidly processed and directly viewed. This film is particularly useful for thoracic imaging. In addition, the radiographic film of this invention also has what is known as "visually adaptive contrast" because it can provide higher contrast than normal in the higher density regions of an image. This invention also provides a film/screen imaging assembly for radiographic purposes, and a method of processing the film to obtain a high contrast black-and-white image. High performance, very high contrast radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising intensifying screens. These films having at least two tabular silver halide emulsions on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover and a rhodium dopant and has higher photographic speeds than the other emulsions. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide images having a peak gamma >3.1 while maintaining gammas >1.0 out into the toe of a D vs. logE sensitometric curve to a value of −0.9 logE. These films are particularly useful for thoracic imaging.