Which technique can help minimize excess radiation damage to patient tissues?

High kVp, or kilovolt peak, refers to the maximum voltage applied to the X-ray tube, which determines the penetrating power of the X-rays produced. Using a high kVp technique allows for the generation of X-rays with higher energy and greater penetrating ability, which can improve the quality of the images obtained while reducing the amount of radiation absorbed by patient tissues. The reasoning lies in the fact that higher energy X-rays are less likely to be absorbed by soft tissues and more likely to pass through, thus minimizing unnecessary exposure.

Furthermore, higher kVp settings typically require lower milliamperage (mA) and shorter exposure times to achieve the desired image quality. This combination of factors leads to less overall radiation delivery to the patient, which is a crucial consideration in radiation safety practices.

Other techniques, while they may have their own benefits, do not specifically address the balance between image quality and radiation dose reduction to the same extent as high kVp does.