Which statement best describes a hand-held X-ray unit?

• A. It is fixed to the wall
• B. It is portable and commonly used in hospitals or nursing homes; a popular brand is No-Mad
• C. It requires a fixed support arm
• D. It produces panoramic images only

Answer: (B)

Hand-held X-ray units are designed to be portable and used at the patient’s side. They run on battery power and let clinicians take radiographs in settings like hospitals or nursing homes, bringing imaging to the patient rather than moving the patient to a fixed radiography room. Because they are handheld, they don’t require a fixed wall-mounted arm. They’re used mainly for intraoral images (like bitewings and periapicals), not panoramic images, which require a dedicated panoramic unit. So the statement describing them as portable and commonly used in hospitals or nursing homes (with a handheld design) best fits a hand-held X-ray unit.