title: Investigating the exposure class of a computed radiography system for optimisation of physical image quality for chest radiography.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the exposure (speed) class (EC) of an Agfa computed radiography (CR) system could be used to optimise chest radiography. The frequency-dependent normalised noise-power spectra (NNPS(f)) were determined for a range of EC settings (25-1200) for a receptor dose of 4 microGy. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were measured in the lung, heart and diaphragm areas of a chest phantom with ECs of 400 and 600 at four tube voltages (60, 75, 90 and 125 kVp). As anatomical background can be a factor in detection of lung nodules, a tissue to rib ratio (TRR), which measures the ratio of pixel values in the nodule to that of rib, was measured in the lung region of the phantom to assess the suppression of the rib at ECs of 400 and 600. The NNPS(f) at ECs lower than 400 was relatively high. The NNPS(f) at EC 600 was found to be 7% lower when averaged over all frequencies than that at EC 400. The statistical significance of this difference was verified. The EC 800 and EC 1200 settings offered no extra advantages in terms of lowering frequency-dependent noise. The EC 600 setting offered improvements in SNR of between 10% and 18% in the lung, 11% and 16% in the heart, and 15% and 20% in the diaphragm compared with EC 400. Statistical analysis verified the significant difference. The EC 600 setting increased the TRR, thereby helping to suppress rib. This work indicates that an exposure class setting of 600 is the most appropriate for standard chest radiography, but clinical verification is required.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Physics Department, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals, Oncology Centre, Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, East Yorkshire. craig.moore@hey.nhs.uk
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Saunderson
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Beavis
mesh_terms: D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012272:Ribs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging