title: Performance assessment of four 64-slice computed tomographic devices for a typical clinical protocol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the performances of four 64-slice CT devices, as regards radiation dose and image quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Effective dose was measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters in an Alderson Rando phantom (Alderson Research Laboratories, New York, NY). Quantitative image quality was evaluated in a Catphan 600 phantom (The Phantom Laboratory, New York, NY) using 3 parameters (modulation transfer function, contrast-to-noise ratio, and figure of merit). Effective and main organ doses were measured in 40 patients (10 for each CT device), who underwent an abdominal study with the same standard protocol; moreover, in these patients, clinical image quality, using a 5-grade quality score, was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In-phantom measured doses and quantitative image quality showed some differences among the 4 devices. On the contrary, effective and organ doses provided to the patients were similar; no statistically significant differences were found also for clinical image quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some differences were found among the 4 devices from a physical point of view; on the other hand, the patient data were similar.
authors.affiliation: Fisica Sanitaria, Ospedale di Circolo di Varese e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colli
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mangini
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Strocchi
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lumia
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canì
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boffano
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cesarani
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Ivo Andrea Bergamo
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Andreis
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gozzi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cacciatori
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ostinelli
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vite
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fugazzola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012984:Software; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards