title: Benchmarking the performance of fixed-image receptor digital radiography systems. Part 2: system performance metric.
abstract: This is part two of a two-part study in benchmarking system performance of fixed digital radiographic systems. The study compares the system performance of seven fixed digital radiography systems based on quantitative metrics like modulation transfer function (sMTF), normalised noise power spectrum (sNNPS), detective quantum efficiency (sDQE) and entrance surface air kerma (ESAK). It was found that the most efficient image receptors (greatest sDQE) were not necessarily operating at the lowest ESAK. In part one of this study, sMTF is shown to depend on system configuration while sNNPS is shown to be relatively consistent across systems. Systems are ranked on their signal-to-noise ratio efficiency (sDQE) and their ESAK. Systems using the same equipment configuration do not necessarily have the same system performance. This implies radiographic practice at the site will have an impact on the overall system performance. In general, systems are more dose efficient at low dose settings.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Technology Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Health Support Queensland, 199 Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, 4102, QLD, Australia. Kam.Lee@arpansa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Kam L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Technology Services, Health Support Queensland, Fortitude Valley, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Technology Services, Gold Coast University Hospital, Health Support Queensland, Southport, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ireland
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019985:Benchmarking; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate
keywords: Digital image receptors; Digital radiography; Image quality; Radiology benchmarking