L08 Image Quality
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This document discusses factors that affect image quality in diagnostic and interventional radiology. It covers topics such as image quality parameters like noise, resolution, and contrast. It describes factors like patient thickness, tissue density, and X-ray energy that influence image contrast. It also discusses different types of blurring and lack of sharpness in images from geometric factors, motion, and limitations of the imaging system. The document additionally covers distortions and artifacts that can occur from issues like uneven magnification, grid artifacts, and improper positioning.
L08 Image Quality
- 1. RADIATION PROTECTION IN DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY L 8: Factors affecting image quality IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 2. Introduction A review is made of: Definitions of image quality parameters The factors that affect the image quality The common image quality related problems encountered by radiologists in routine practice The image criteria concept as a tool to help to achieve good image quality with the use of low radiation dose per radiograph
- 3. Topics Image quality evaluators Image contrast Blur or lack of sharpness Distortion and Artifacts Image noise
- 4. Overview To become familiar with the factors that determine the image clarity and the way the image quality can be improved
- 5. Part 8: Image quality Topic 1: Basic Image Quality Evaluators IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 6. Imaging quality Efficient diagnosis requires acceptable noise good image contrast sufficient spatial resolution These factors are linked “Objective” measurement of quality is difficult
- 7. Factors affecting image quality Image quality Contrast Distortion & artifact Noise Blur or Unsharpness
- 8. Image quality evaluators/descriptors NOISE RESOLUTION CONTRAST Wiener spectra Modulation transfer Function MTF Signal-to-noise Ratio S/N Contrast detail analysis Rose model ROC analysis Basic evaluators Contrast Resolution Noise Linking evaluators Modulation transfer Signal-to-noise ratio Wiener spectra Overall evaluators Contrast detail analysis Rose Model ROC analysis
- 9. Part 8: Image quality Topic 2: Image contrast IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 10. Image contrast Low Contrast Medium Contrast High Contrast Image contrast refers to the fractional difference in optical density of brightness between two regions of an image
- 11. Some factors influencing contrast Radiographic or subject contrast Tissue thickness Tissue density Tissue electron density Effective atomic number Z X Ray energy in kV X Ray spectrum (Al filter) Scatter rejection Collimator Grid … Image contrast The radiographic contrast plus : Film characteristics Screen characteristics Windowing level of CT and DSA …
- 12. Peak voltage value has an influence on the beam hardness (beam quality) It has to be related to medical question What is the anatomical structure to investigate? What is the contrast level needed? For a thorax examination : 130 - 150 kV is suitable to visualize the lung structure While only 65 kV is necessary to see bone structure Technique factors (1)
- 13. Technique factors (2) The higher the energy, the greater the penetrating power of X Rays At very high energy levels, the difference between bone and soft tissue decreases and both become equally transparent Image contrast can be enhanced by choosing a lower kVp so that photoelectric interactions are increased Higher kVp is required when the contrast is high (chest)
- 14. X Ray penetration in human tissues 60 kV - 50 mAs 70 kV - 50 mAs 80 kV - 50 mAs
- 15. X Ray penetration in human tissues Improvement of image contrast (lung)
- 16. Technique factors (3) The mAs controls the quantity of X Rays (intensity or number of X Rays) X Ray intensity is directly proportional to the mAs Over or under-exposure can be controlled by adjusting the mAs If the film is too “white”, increasing the mAs will bring up the intensity and optical density
- 17. X Ray penetration in human tissues 70 kV - 25 mAs 70 kV - 50 mAs 70 kV - 80 mAs
- 18. Receptor contrast The film as receptor has a major role to play in altering the image contrast There are high contrast and high sensitivity films The characteristic curve of the film describes the intrinsic properties of the receptor (base + fog, sensitivity, mean gradient, maximum optical density) N.B.: Film processing strongly has a pronounced effect on fog and contrast
- 19. Video monitor The video monitor is commonly used in fluoroscopy and digital imaging The display on the monitor adds flexibility in the choice of image contrast The dynamic range of the monitor is limited (limitation in displaying wide range of exposures) Increased flexibility in displaying image contrast is achieved by adjustment of the window level or gray levels of a digital image
- 20. Contrast agents Nature has provided limited contrast in the body Man-made contrast agents have frequently been employed to achieve contrast when natural contrast is lacking (iodine, barium) The purpose is to get signals different from the surrounding tissues and make visible organs that are transparent to X Rays
- 21. Part 8: Image quality Topic 3: Blur or lack of sharpness IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 22. Blur or lack of sharpness The boundaries of an organ or lesion may be very sharp but the image shows a lack of sharpness Different factors may be responsible for such a degree of “fuzziness” or blurring The radiologist viewing the image might express an opinion that the image lacks “ detail ” or “ resolution ” (subjective reaction of the viewer to the degree of sharpness present in the image)
- 23. Resolution Smallest distance that two objects can be separated and still appear distinct Example of limits Film screen: 0.01 mm CT: .5 mm Other definition: “Point-spread” function Characteristic of a “point” object Point object expected to be point in image Blurring due to imperfections of imaging system Measurement: full-width-at-half-maximum FWHM
- 24. Factors affecting image sharpness Image Unsharpness Geometric Unsharpness Subject Unsharpness Motion Unsharpness Subject Unsharpness
- 25. Geometric blur If the focal spot is infinitesimally small, the blur is minimized because of minimal geometric bluntness As the focal spot increases, the blur in the image increases Small focal spot Large focal spot
- 26. Geometric blur Another cause of lack of geometric sharpness is the distance of the receptor from the object Moving the receptor away from the object results in an increased lack of sharpness N.B.: The smaller the focal size and closer the contact between the object and the film (or receptor), the better the image quality as a result of a reduction in the geometric sharpness
- 27. Lack of sharpness in the subject Not all structures in the body have well-defined boundaries (superimposition essentially present in most situations) The organs do not have square or rectangular boundaries The fidelity with which details in the object are required to be imaged is an essential requirement of any imaging system The absence of sharpness, in the subject/object is reflected in the image
- 28. Lack of sharpness due to motion (1) Common and understandable blur in medical imaging Patient movement : uncooperative child organ contraction or relaxation heart beating, breathing etc. Voluntary motion can be controlled by keeping examination time short and asking the patient to remain still during the examination
- 29. Lack of sharpness due to motion (2) Shorter exposure times are achieved by the use of fast intensifying screens N.B. : Faster screens result in loss of details ( receptor sharpness ) Further, the use of shorter exposure time has to be compensated with increased mA to achieve a good image This often implies use of large focal spot ( geometric sharpness )
- 30. Lack of receptor sharpness The intensifying screen in radiography has a crystal size which is larger than that of the emulsion on the film An image obtained without the screen will be sharper than that obtained with the screen, but will require much more dose The thickness of the screen further results in degradation of sharpness On digital imaging, the image displayed at a higher matrix with a finer pixel size has better clarity
- 31. Part 8: Image quality Topic 4: Distortion and artifacts IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 32. Distortion and artifacts Unequal magnification of various anatomical structures Inability to give an accurate impression of the real size, shape and relative positions Grid artifact (grid visualized on the film) Light spot simulating microcalcifications (dust on the screen) Bad film screen contact, bad patient positioning (breast)
- 35. Part 8: Image quality Topic 5: Image noise IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
- 36. Noise Defined as uncertainty or imprecision of the recording of a signal Impressionist painting: precision of object increases with number of dots X Ray imaging: when recorded with small number of X- photons has high degree of uncertainty,more photons give less noise Other sources of noise: Grains in radiographic film Large grains in intensifying screens Electronic noise of detector or amplifier
- 37. Noise in film Noise is characterized by the standard deviation ( ) of the OD measurements in any uniform region of the film
- 38. Image noise Information that is not useful is noise The snowing in a TV image, the speckles in an ultrasound image are examples of noise Noise interferes with visualization of image features useful for diagnosis Different components of noise are: Radiation noise (“heel effect”) Structure noise (Compton scattering) Receptor noise (non-uniform response to a uniform X Ray beam) Quantum mottle (low photon flux)
- 39. Summary Different technical and physical factors may influence the image quality by impairing the detection capability of the anatomical structures useful for diagnosis (increasing the image unsharpness) Some factors depend on the receptor, some others are more related to the radiographic technique
- 40. Where to Get More Information Hendee WR, Riternour ER, eds. Medical Imaging physics, 3 rd ed. St. Louis: Mosby Year Book, 1992 Sprawls Perry Jr. Ed. Physical principles of medical imaging. Maddison: Medical Physics Publishing, 1993 Moores BM, Wall BF, Eriskat H and Schibilla H, eds. Optimization of image quality and patient exposures in diagnostic radiology. London: British Institute of Radiology 1989.