title: Ultrasound contrast-detail analysis: a comparison of low-contrast detectability among scanhead designs.
abstract: Contrast-detail (CD) analysis was used to compare the low-contrast detection capabilities of expert observers using different array-type scanhead technologies. Five expert observers viewed five different contrast targets to obtain CD curves for each scanhead. Differences in CD curves are interpreted in terms of the image contrast, resolution, and noise. It was found that differences in low-contrast detectability were due to differences in beam properties. Clinical images obtained during patient examinations are used to show how some clinically relevant tasks are distributed in their contrast and size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160-7234, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Insana
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Soller
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Schlehr
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data