Barium is a white, chalky powder that mixes with water to make a liquid. It appears white on X-ray films and is used to visualize the insides of a body part, such as a digestive tract. The procedure is done with fluoroscopy, which produces a continuous X-ray movie of the area being examined. A radiologist watches the X-ray movie on a monitor and can immediately show the patient if an abnormality is present.
A barium small bowel follow through (sometimes called upper and lower gastrointestinal series) is an imaging test used to diagnose abnormalities of the esophagus, stomach, large intestine and/or small intestine. It involves filling the intestine with barium liquid while X-ray images are taken to detect ulcers and other inflammatory conditions, tumors, polyps, hernias, and strictures. The barium tablet (E-Z-DISK) disintegrates within 30 minutes of ingestion and the fragments pass through the esophagus without absorption.
In disc golf, the glide rating is a measure of how well a disc can maintain its distance on a flat trajectory. Glide is the product of lift and drag, with higher lift and lower drag resulting in a more stable flight. The Bohrium’s rounded rim allows for significantly less drag than other maximum speed drivers, allowing the disc to fly longer and more accurately.
Barium is also a component of spectroscopic windows and scintillator materials for detection of X-rays and gamma rays. It is an excellent choice for use in applications requiring high transparency from the ultraviolet to the infrared region, such as optical components like lenses.