Early experience in the use of quantitative image quality measurements for the quality assurance of full field digital mammography x-ray systems

Quantitative image quality results in the form of the modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) are presented for nine full field digital mammography (FFDM) systems. These parameters are routinely measured as part of the quality assurance (QA) programme for the seven FFDM units covered by our centre. Just one additional image is required compared to the standard FFDM protocol; this is the image of an edge, from which the MTF is calculated. A variance image is formed from one of the flood images used to measure the detector response and this provides useful information on the condition of the detector with respect to artefacts. Finally, the NNPS is calculated from the flood image acquired at a target detector air kerma (DAK) of 100 microGy. DQE is then estimated from these data; however, no correction is currently made for effects of detector cover transmission on DQE. The coefficient of variation (cov) of the 50% point of the MTF for five successive MTF results was 1%, while the cov for the 50% MTF point for an a-Se system over a period of 17 months was approximately 3%. For four a-Se based systems, the cov for the NNPS at 1 mm(-1) for a target DAK of 100 microGy was approximately 4%; the same result was found for four CsI based FFDM units. With regard to the stability of NNPS over time, the cov for four NNPS results acquired over a period of 12 months was also approximately 4%. The effect of acquisition geometry on NNPS was also assessed for a CsI based system. NNPS data acquired with the antiscatter grid in place showed increased noise at low spatial frequency; this effect was more severe as DAK increased. DQE results for the three detector types (a-Se, CsI and CR) are presented as a function of DAK. Some reduction in DQE was found for both the a-Se and CsI based systems at a target DAK of 12.5 microGy when compared to DQE data acquired at 100 microGy. For the CsI based systems, DQE at 1 mm(-1) fell from 0.49 at 100 microGy to 0.38 at 12.5 microGy. For the a-Se units, there was a slightly greater reduction in average DQE at 1 mm(-1), from 0.53 at 100 microGy to 0.31 at 12.5 microGy. Somewhat different behaviour was seen for the CR unit; DQE (at 1 mm(-1)) increased from 0.40 at 100 microGy to 0.49 at 12.5 microGy; however, DQE fell to 0.30 at 420 microGy. DQE stability over time was assessed using the cov of DQE at 1 mm(-1) and a target DAK of 100 microGy; the cov for data acquired over a period of 17 months for an a-Se system was approximately 7%. For comparison with conventional testing methods, the cov was calculated for contrast-detail (cd) data acquired over the same period of time for this unit. The cov for the threshold contrast results (averaged for disc diameters between 0.1 mm and 2 mm) was 6%, indicating similar stability.     

Retrospective analysis of a detector fault for a full field digital mammography system

This paper describes objective and subjective image quality measurements acquired as part of a routine quality assurance (QA) programme for an amorphous selenium (a-Se) full field digital mammography (FFDM) system between August-04 and February-05. During this period, the FFDM detector developed a fault and was replaced. A retrospective analysis of objective image quality parameters (modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE)) is presented to try and gain a deeper understanding of the detector problem that occurred. These measurements are discussed in conjunction with routine contrast-detail (c-d) results acquired with the CDMAM (Artinis, The Netherlands) test object. There was significant reduction in MTF over this period of time indicating an increase in blurring occurring within the a-Se converter layer. This blurring was not isotropic, being greater in the data line direction (left to right across the detector) than in the gate line direction (chest wall to nipple). The initial value of the 50% MTF point was 6 mm(-1); for the faulty detector the 50% MTF points occurred at 3.4 mm(-1) and 1.0 mm(-1) in the gate line and data line directions, respectively. Prior to NNPS estimation, variance images were formed of the detector flat field images. Spatial distribution of variance was not uniform, suggesting that the physical blurring process was not constant across the detector. This change in variance with image position implied that the stationarity of the noise statistics within the image was limited and that care would be needed when performing objective measurements. The NNPS measurements confirmed the results found for the MTF, with a strong reduction in NNPS as a function of spatial frequency. This reduction was far more severe in the data line direction. A somewhat tentative DQE estimate was made; in the gate line direction there was little change in DQE up to 2.5 mm(-1) but at the Nyquist frequency the DQE had fallen to approximately 35% of the original value. There was severe attenuation of DQE in the data line direction, the DQE falling to less than 0.01 above approximately 3.0 mm(-1). C-d results showed an increase in threshold contrast of approximately 25% for details less than 0.2 mm in diameter, while no reduction in c-d performance was found at the largest detail diameters (1.0 mm and above). Despite the detector fault, the c-d curve was found to pass the European protocol acceptable c-d curve.     

Characterization of the effects of the FineView algorithm for full field digital mammography

The aim of this study was to characterize the effect of an image processing algorithm (FineView) on both quantitative image quality parameters and the threshold contrast detail response of the GE Senographe DS full-field digital mammography system. The system was characterized using signal transfer property, pre-sampling modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the system. An algorithmic modulation transfer function (MTF(a)) was calculated from images acquired at a reduced detector air kerma (DAK) and with the FineView algorithm enabled. Two sets of beam conditions were used: Mo/Mo/28 kV and Rh/Rh/29 kV, both with 2 mm added Al filtration at the x-ray tube. Images were acquired with and without FineView at four DAK levels from 14 to 378 μGy. The threshold contrast detail response was assessed using the CDMAM contrast-detail test object which was imaged under standard clinical conditions with and without FineView at three DAK levels from 24 to 243 μGy. The images were scored by both human observers and by automated scoring software. Results indicated an improvement of up to 125% at 5 mm?1 in MTF(a) when FineView was activated, particularly at high DAK levels. A corresponding increase of up to 425% at 5 mm?1 was also seen in the NNPS, again with the same DAK dependence. FineView did not influence DQE, an indication that the signal to noise ratio transfer of the system remained unchanged. FineView did not affect the threshold contrast detectability of the system, a result that is consistent with the DQE results.     

Physical characteristics of GE Senographe Essential and DS digital mammography detectors

The purpose of this study was to investigate physical characteristics of two full field digital mammography (FFDM) systems (GE Senographe Essential and DS). Both are indirect conversion (x ray to light) alpha-Si flat panels coupled with a CsI(Tl) scintillator. The examined systems have the same pixel size (100 microm) but a different field of view: a conventional size 23 x 19.2 cm2 and a large field 24 X 30.7 cm2, specifically designed to image large breasts. In the GE Senographe Essential model relevant improvements in flat panel design were implemented and new deposition tools for metal, alpha-Si, and CsI(Tl) were introduced by GE. These changes in detector design are expected to be beneficial for advanced applications such as breast tomosynthesis. The presampling modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were measured for a wide range of exposure (25-240 microGy) with a RQA-M2 technique (28 kVp with a Mo/Mo target/filter combination and 2 mm of additional aluminum filtration). At 1, 2, and at 4 lp/mm MTF is equal to 0.9, 0.76, and 0.46 for the conventional field detector and to 0.85, 0.59, and 0.24 for the large field detector. The latter detector exhibits an improved NNPS due to a lower electronic noise and a better DQE that reaches 60%. In addition a contrast-detail analysis was performed with CDMAM 3.4 phantom and CDCOM software: GE Senographe DS showed statistically significant poorer detection ability in comparison with the GE Senographe Essential. These results could have been expected, at least qualitatively, considering the relative DQE of the two systems.     

Quality control measurements for digital x-ray detectors

This paper describes a digital radiography (DR) quality control protocol for DR detectors from the forthcoming report from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). The protocol was applied to a group of six identical caesium iodide (CsI) digital x-ray detectors to assess reproducibility of methods, while four further detectors were assessed to examine the wider applicability. Twelve images with minimal spatial frequency processing are required, from which the detector response, lag, modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and threshold contrast-detail (c-d) detectability are calculated. The x-ray spectrum used was 70 kV and 1 mm added copper filtration, with a target detector air kerma of 2.5 μGy for the NNPS and c-d results. In order to compare detector performance with previous imaging technology, c-d data from four screen/film systems were also acquired, at a target optical density of 1.5 and an average detector air kerma of 2.56 μGy. The DR detector images were typically acquired in 20 min, with a further 45 min required for image transfer and analysis. The average spatial frequency for the 50% point of the MTF for six identical detectors was 1.29 mm(-1) ± 0.05 (3.9% coefficient of variation (cov)). The air kerma set for the six systems was 2.57 μGy ± 0.13 (5.0% cov) and the NNPS at this air kerma was 1.42 × 10(-5) mm(2) (6.5% cov). The detective quantum efficiency (DQE) measured for the six identical detectors was 0.60 at 0.5 mm(-1), with a maximum cov of 10% at 2.9 mm(-1), while the average DQE was 0.56 at 0.5 mm(-1) for three CsI detectors from three different manufacturers. Comparable c-d performance was found for these detectors (5.9% cov) with an average threshold contrast of 0.46% for 11 mm circular discs. The average threshold contrast for the S/F systems was 0.70% at 11 mm, indicating superior imaging performance for the digital systems. The protocol was found to be quick, reproducible and gave an in-depth assessment of performance for a range of digital x-ray detectors.     

A comparison of the performance of digital mammography systems

An objective analysis of image quality parameters was performed for six digital mammography systems. The presampled modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for the systems were determined at different doses, for 28 kVp with a Mo/Mo or W/Al target/filter combination and 2 mm of additional aluminium filtration. The flat-panel units have higher MTF and DQE in the mid to high frequency range than standard CR systems. The highest DQE, over the whole dose range, is for the slit-scanning direct photon counting system. Dual-side read CR can overcome the inherent x-ray absorption and signal collection limitations of standard CR mammography, improving the low-frequency DQE by 40%, to the same level as full-field systems, but it does not improve the poor spatial resolution of phosphor.     

High-resolution imager for digital mammography: physical characterization of a prototype sensor

The physical performance characteristics of a high-resolution sensor module for digital mammography were investigated. The signal response of the imager was measured at various detector entrance air kerma and was found to be linear. The spatial resolution was determined by measuring the presampling modulation transfer function, MTF(f), of the system. The noise power spectra, NPS(f), of the system were estimated using 26 kVp: Mo/Mo, 28 kVp: Mo/Rh and 30 kVp: Rh/Rh, with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) 'tissue equivalent material' of thickness 20, 45 and 57 mm for each of three x-ray spectra at detector entrance air kerma in the range between approximately 80.2 and 92.3 microGy. The noise equivalent quanta, NEQ(f), and detective quantum efficiencies, DQE(f), for the various spectral conditions were computed. In addition, dose dependence of NPS(f) and DQE(f) was studied at various detector entrance air kerma ranging from 9.4 to 169.7 microGy. A spatial resolution of about 10 cycles mm(-1) was obtained at the 10% MTF(f) level. A small increase in NEQ(f)was observed under higher energy spectral conditions while the DQE(f) decreased marginally. For a given spectrum, increasing PMMA filtration produced negligible change in DQE(f). The estimated DQE values at zero frequency were in the range between 0.45 and 0.55 under the conditions investigated in this study.     

On site evaluation of three flat panel detectors for digital radiography

During a tender we evaluated the image performance of three commercially available active matrix flat panel imagers (AMFPI) for general radiography, one based on direct detection method (Se photoconductor) the other two on indirect detection method (CsI phosphor). Basic image quality parameters (MTF, NNPS, DQE) were evaluated with particular attention to dose and energy dependence. As it is known, presampling modulation transfer function (MTF) of selenium based detector is very high (at 70 kV, 2 cycles/mm, 2.5 microGy, about 0.80). Indirect detection panels exhibit a comparable (lower) resolution (at 70 kV, 2 cycles/mm, 2.5 microGy, MTF is about 0.34 for both the systems analyzed) and a more pronounced energy and dose dependence could also be noted in one of them. As a consequence of the very high resolution, the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) of the direct system is substantially flat, very similar to a white noise. Considering that the sensitive layer of all detectors is the same (0.5 mm), the relatively higher NNPS values are related to selenium absorption properties (lower Z respect to CsI:Tl) and detector inherent noise. NNPSs of the other systems, at low frequencies, are comparable but the frequency dependence is significantly different. At 70 kV, 2.5 microGy, 0.5 cycles/mm detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is about 0.35 for the direct detection system, and about the same (0.6) for the indirect ones. The combined effect of additive and multiplicative noise components makes DQE dependence on dose not monotonic. DQE present a maximum for an intermediate exposure. This complex behavior may be useful to characterize the systems in terms of the monodimensional integral over the frequency of DQE (IDQE). Both visual contrast-detail experiment and the direct evaluation of the signal-to-noise ratio confirmed, at least in a qualitative way, the system performances predicted by IDQE.     

Characterization of noise sources for two generations of computed radiography systems using powder and crystalline photostimulable phosphors

The performances of two generations of computed radiography (CR) were tested and compared in terms of resolution and noise characteristics. The main aim was to characterize and quantify the noise sources in the images. The systems tested were (1) Agfa CR 25.0, a flying spot reader with powder phosphor image plates (MD 40.0); and (2) the Agfa DX-S, a line-scanning CR reader with needle crystal phosphor image plates (HD 5.0). For both systems, the standard metrics of presampled modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectra (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were measured using standard radiation quality RQA5 as defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The various noise sources contributing to the NNPS were separated by using knowledge of their relationship with air kerma, MTF, absorption efficiency and antialiasing filters. The DX-S MTF was superior compared with the CR 25.0. The maximum difference in MTF between the DX-S scan and CR 25.0 subscan directions was 0.13 at 1.3 mm(-1). For a nominal detector air kerma of 4 microGy, the peak DQE of the DX-S was 43 (+/-3)%, which was over double that of the CR 25.0 of 18 (+/-2)%. The additive electronic noise was negligible on the CR 25.0 but calculated to be constant 3.4 x 10(-7) (+/-0.4 x 10(-7)) mm2 at 3.9 microGy on the DX-S. The DX-S has improved image quality compared with a traditional flying spot reader. The separation of the noise sources indicates that the improvements in DQE of the DX-S are due not only to the higher quantum, efficiency and MTF, but also the lower structure, secondary quantum, and excess noise.     

Image quality assessment in digital mammography: part I. Technical characterization of the systems

In many European countries, image quality for digital x-ray systems used in screening mammography is currently specified using a threshold-detail detectability method. This is a two-part study that proposes an alternative method based on calculated detectability for a model observer: the first part of the work presents a characterization of the systems. Eleven digital mammography systems were included in the study; four computed radiography (CR) systems, and a group of seven digital radiography (DR) detectors, composed of three amorphous selenium-based detectors, three caesium iodide scintillator systems and a silicon wafer-based photon counting system. The technical parameters assessed included the system response curve, detector uniformity error, pre-sampling modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Approximate quantum noise limited exposure range was examined using a separation of noise sources based upon standard deviation. Noise separation showed that electronic noise was the dominant noise at low detector air kerma for three systems; the remaining systems showed quantum noise limited behaviour between 12.5 and 380 μGy. Greater variation in detector MTF was found for the DR group compared to the CR systems; MTF at 5 mm(-1) varied from 0.08 to 0.23 for the CR detectors against a range of 0.16-0.64 for the DR units. The needle CR detector had a higher MTF, lower NNPS and higher DQE at 5 mm(-1) than the powder CR phosphors. DQE at 5 mm(-1) ranged from 0.02 to 0.20 for the CR systems, while DQE at 5 mm(-1) for the DR group ranged from 0.04 to 0.41, indicating higher DQE for the DR detectors and needle CR system than for the powder CR phosphor systems. The technical evaluation section of the study showed that the digital mammography systems were well set up and exhibiting typical performance for the detector technology employed in the respective systems.     

A comparison of the performance of modern screen-film and digital mammography systems

This work compares the detector performance and image quality of the new Kodak Min-R EV mammography screen-film system with the Fuji CR Profect detector and with other current mammography screen-film systems from Agfa, Fuji and Kodak. Basic image quality parameters (MTF, NPS, NEQ and DQE) were evaluated for a 28 kV Mo/Mo (HVL = 0.646 mm Al) beam using different mAs exposure settings. Compared with other screen-film systems, the new Kodak Min-R EV detector has the highest contrast and a low intrinsic noise level, giving better NEQ and DQE results, especially at high optical density. Thus, the properties of the new mammography film approach those of a fine mammography detector, especially at low frequency range. Screen-film systems provide the best resolution. The presampling MTF of the digital detector has a value of 15% at the Nyquist frequency and, due to the spread size of the laser beam, the use of a smaller pixel size would not permit a significant improvement of the detector resolution. The dual collection reading technology increases significantly the low frequency DQE of the Fuji CR system that can at present compete with the most efficient mammography screen-film systems.     

Physical characterization of a prototype selenium-based full field digital mammography detector

The purpose of this study was to measure experimentally the physical performance of a prototype mammographic imager based on a direct detection, flat-panel array design employing an amorphous selenium converter with 70 microm pixels. The system was characterized for two different anode types, a molybdenum target with molybdenum filtration (Mo/Mo) and a tungsten target with rhodium filtration (W/Rh), at two different energies, 28 and 35 kVp, with approximately 2 mm added aluminum filtration. To measure the resolution, the presampled modulation transfer function (MTF) was measured using an edge method. The normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) was measured by two-dimensional Fourier analysis of uniformly exposed mammograms. The detective quantum efficiencies (DQEs) were computed from the MTFs, the NNPSs, and theoretical ideal signal to noise ratios. The MTF was found to be close to its ideal limit and reached 0.2 at 11.8 mm(-1) and 0.1 at 14.1 mm(-1) for images acquired at an RQA-M2 technique (Mo/Mo anode, 28 kVp, 2 mm Al). Using a tungsten technique (MW2; W/Rh anode, 28 kVp, 2 mm Al), the MTF went to 0.2 at 11.2 mm(-1) and to 0.1 at 13.3 mm(-1). The DQE reached a maximum value of 54% at 1.35 mm(-1) for the RQA-M2 technique at 1.6 microC/kg and achieved a peak value of 64% at 1.75 mm(-1) for the tungsten technique (MW2) at 1.9 microC/kg. Nevertheless, the DQE showed strong exposure and frequency dependencies. The results indicated that the detector offered high MTFs and DQEs, but structured noise effects may require improved calibration before clinical implementation.     

Physical characteristics of five clinical systems for digital mammography

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the physical characteristics of five clinical systems for digital mammography (GE Senographe 2000D, Lorad Selenia M-IV, Fischer Senoscan, Agfa DM 1000, and IMS Giotto) currently in clinical use. The basic performances of the mammography systems tested were assessed on the basis of response curve, modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum, noise equivalent quanta (NEQ), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) in an experimental setting closely resembling the clinical one. As expected, all the full field digital mammography systems show a linear response curve over a dynamic range from 3.5 to 500 microGy (0.998相似文献   

Comparison of different commercial FFDM units by means of physical characterization and contrast-detail analysis

The purpose of this study was to perform a complete evaluation of three pieces of clinical digital mammography equipment. Image quality was assessed by performing physical characterization and contrast-detail (CD) analysis. We considered three different FFDM systems: a computed radiography unit (Fuji "FCR 5000 MA") and two flat-panel units, the indirect conversion a-Si based GE "Senographe 2000D" and the direct conversion a-Si based IMS "Giotto Image MD." The physical characterization was estimated by measuring the MTF, NNPS, and DQE of the detectors with no antiscatter grid and over the clinical range of exposures. The CD analysis was performed using a CDMAM 3.4 phantom and custom software designed for automatic computation of the contrast-detail curves. The physical characterization of the three digital systems confirms the excellent MTF properties of the direct conversion flat-panel detector (FPD). We performed a relative standard deviation (RSD) analysis, for investigating the different components of the noise presented by the three systems. It turned out that the two FPDs show a significant additive component, whereas for the CR system the statistical noise is dominant. The multiplicative factor is a minor constituent for all the systems. The two FPDs demonstrate better DQE, with respect to the CR system, for exposures higher than 70 microGy. The CD analysis indicated that the three systems are not statistically different for detail objects with a diameter greater than 0.3 mm. However, the IMS system showed a statistically significant different response for details smaller than 0.3 mm. In this case, the poor response of the a-Se detector could be attributed to its high-frequency noise characteristics, since its MTF, NEQ, and DQE are not inferior to those of the other systems. The CD results were independent of exposure level, within the investigated clinical range. We observed slight variations in the CD results, due to the changes in the visualization parameters (window/level and magnification factor). This suggests that radiologists would benefit from viewing images using varied window/level and magnification.     

Physical characterization of a scanning photon counting digital mammography system based on Si-strip detectors

The physical performance of a scanning multislit full field digital mammography system was determined using basic image quality parameters. The system employs a direct detection detector comprised of linear silicon strip sensors in an edge-on geometry connected to photon counting electronics. The pixel size is 50 microm and the field of view 24 x 26 cm2. The performance was quantified using the presampled modulation transfer function, the normalized noise power spectrum and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Compared to conventional DQE methods, the scanning geometry with its intrinsic scatter rejection poses additional requirements on the measurement setup, which are investigated in this work. The DQE of the photon counting system was found to be independent of the dose level to the detector in the 7.6-206 microGy range. The peak DQE was 72% and 73% in the scan and slit direction, respectively, measured with a 28 kV W-0.5 mm Al anode-filter combination with an added 2 mm Al filtration.     

Performance evaluation of a "dual-side read" dedicated mammography computed radiography system

The image quality of a dedicated mammography computed radiography (CR) system was characterized. A unique feature of this system is that it collects image signals from both sides of the storage phosphor. Measurements of the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were made. This work included improvements in our measurement methods to specifically account for the detrimental effects of system glare on the MTF and to accurately characterize the low-frequency NPS components. Image quality measurements were performed using a 25 kVp beam filtered with 2 mm Al and an exposure range of 1 to 100 mR (87 to 870 microGy). The DQE was found to decrease with increasing exposure due to an increased contribution of storage phosphor structure noise. The DQE of this system was compared to similar measurements made using a standard CR system. The dual-side read system demonstrated superior DQE compared to the standard system. The decrease in DQE with increasing exposure was more severe for the standard system than the dual-side read system. This finding suggests that the CR system noise was reduced for the dual-side read system compared to the standard system.     

Comparison between a built-in "dual side" chest imaging device and a standard "single side" CR

An integrated readout computed radiography system (Fuji XU-D1) incorporating dual-side imaging plates (ST-55BD) was analyzed in terms of modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for standard beam qualities RQA 9 and RQA 5. NPS and DQE were assessed using a detector entrance air kerma consistent with clinical practice for chest radiography. Similar investigation was performed on a standard reader (Fuji FCR 5000) using single-side imaging plates (ST-VI). Negligible differences were found between the MTFs of the two imaging systems for RQA 9, whereas for RQA 5 the single-side system exhibited slightly superior MTF. Regarding noise response, the dual-side system turned out to be better performing for both beam qualities over a wide range of frequencies. For RQA 9, at 8 microGy, the DQE of the dual-side system was moderately higher over the whole frequency range, whereas for RQA 5, at 10 microGy, significant improvement was found at low- and midrange frequencies. As an example, at 1 cycle/mm, the following improvements in the DQE of the dual-side system were observed: +22% (RQA 9, at 8 microGy), +50% (RQA 9, at 30 microGy), and +45% (RQA 5, at 10 microGy).     

An image quality comparison of standard and dual-side read CR systems for pediatric radiology

An objective analysis of image quality parameters was performed for a computed radiography (CR) system using both standard single-side and prototype dual-side read plates. The pre-sampled modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for the systems were determined at three different beam qualities representative of pediatric chest radiography, at an entrance detector air kerma of 5 microGy. The NPS and DQE measurements were realized under clinically relevant x-ray spectra for pediatric radiology, including x-ray scatter radiations. Compared to the standard single-side read system, the MTF for the dual-side read system is reduced, but this is offset by a significant decrease in image noise, resulting in a marked increase in DQE (+40%) in the low spatial frequency range. Thus, for the same image quality, the new technology permits the CR system to be used at a reduced dose level.     

Imaging performance of amorphous selenium based flat-panel detectors for digital mammography: characterization of a small area prototype detector

Our work is to investigate and understand the factors affecting the imaging performance of amorphous selenium (a-Se) flat-panel detectors for digital mammography. Both theoretical and experimental methods were developed to investigate the spatial frequency dependent detective quantum efficiency [DQE(f)] of a-Se flat-panel detectors for digital mammography. Since the K edge of a-Se is 12.66 keV and within the energy range of a mammographic spectrum, a theoretical model was developed based on cascaded linear system analysis with parallel processes to take into account the effect of K fluorescence on the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and DQE(f) of the detector. This model was used to understand the performance of a small-area prototype detector with 85 microm pixel size. The presampling MTF, NPS, and DQE(f) of the prototype were measured, and compared to the theoretical calculation of the model. The calculation showed that K fluorescence accounted for a 15% reduction in the MTF at the Nyquist frequency (fNy) of the prototype detector, and the NPS at fNy was reduced to 89% of that at zero spatial frequency. The measurement of presampling MTF of the prototype detector revealed an additional source of blurring, which was attributed to charge trapping in the blocking layer at the interface between a-Se and the active matrix. This introduced a drop in both presampling MTF and NPS at high spatial frequency, and reduced aliasing in the NPS. As a result, the DQE(f) of the prototype detector at fNy approached 40% of that at zero spatial frequency. The measured and calculated DQE(f) using the linear system model have reasonable agreement, indicating that the factors controlling image quality in a-Se based mammographic detectors are fully understood, and the model can be used to further optimize detector imaging performance.     

Influence of cassette type on the DQE of CR systems

In our recent paper by Monnin et al. [Med. Phys. 33, 411-420 (2006)], an objective analysis of the relative performance of a computed radiography (CR) system using both standard single-side (ST-VI) and prototype dual-side read (ST-BD) plates was reported. The presampled modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for the systems were determined at three different beam qualities representative of paediatric chest radiography, at an entrance detector air kerma of 5 microGy. Experiments demonstrated that, compared to the standard single-side read system, the MTF for the dual-side read system was slightly reduced, but a significant decrease in image noise resulted in a marked increase in DQE (+40%) in the low spatial frequency range. However, the DQE improvement for the ST-BD plate decreased with increasing spatial frequency, and, at spatial frequencies above 2.2 mm(-1), the DQE of the dual-side read system was lower than that of the single-side one.