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Filtration of the X-ray beam is primarily designed to improve the quality of the X-ray images by removing low-energy X-rays from the beam before it reaches the patient. Low-energy X-rays are less penetrating and do not contribute significantly to the diagnostic quality of the image; instead, they can increase patient exposure unnecessarily.

By removing these low-energy X-rays, filtration helps ensure that the X-ray beam consists of higher-energy photons, which are more capable of penetrating tissues and producing meaningful diagnostic information. Consequently, this process effectively reduces the overall dose of radiation that the patient receives since the low-energy X-rays that would not contribute effectively to the imaging (but would increase exposure) are filtered out.

It is important to note that this does not imply that filtration removes high-energy X-rays, which are valuable for imaging. The goal of filtration is to optimize the beam quality while minimizing unnecessary patient exposure, thereby aligning with radiation safety principles in medical imaging.