[Average glandular tissue dose and image quality in screen-film mammography].

We investigated the relationship between average glandular tissue dose and imaging properties such as image density, contrast, and visual image quality, varying the tube voltage and subject parameters (glandular fraction and breast thickness) The wax inserts of 156 phantom and disk of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were arranged between the BR-12 breast-equivalent phantoms. These phantoms were radiographed using automatic exposure control (AEC) for the various combinations of tube voltage and subject parameters. In addition, exposures were measured at the same time. The results showed that the average glandular tissue dose increased when the high glandular fraction and/or thick phantom were being radiographed with the low tube voltage. We found that the criteria of the Japanese Mammography Screening Accreditation Program for image quality were not satisfied when breast thickness was greater than 6 cm.

[Significance of the visual evaluation method using the two-visit method (two-sample preference test suggested by Ferris)].

To increase the accuracy of the visual evaluation method, we studied the significance of the two-sample preference test using the two-visit method, as proposed by Ferris. Advantages of this method include not only its ability to estimate whether the image quality of the sample is statistically the same but also its ability to distinguish the difference between samples more clearly than when using the conventional two-sample preference test or paired-comparison method. However, a disadvantage is that this method involves two observations of the same sample. When using chest images, even if a difference between the samples is not recognizable by the conventional method, a significant difference can be elicited with this method. The data obtained by this method can be evaluated with the paired-comparison method, so some samples may be ranked as well. Therefore, we verified that the two-sample preference test, which Ferris formulated, is useful in visual evaluations.

Evaluation of the effect of geometry for measuring section thickness in tomosynthesis.

Our aim in this study was to evaluate the effect of geometry for measuring section thickness in tomosynthesis by using a metal bead device (bead method). Tomosynthesis images were obtained from two types of tomosynthesis equipment, Safire17 (ST, Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan) and XR650 (GT, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). After tomosynthesis radiography with each device, the bead tomosynthesis images were obtained by image reconstruction. The digital profile was obtained from the digital value of the bead central coordinate in the perpendicular direction, and we acquired the slice sensitivity profile (SSP). The section thickness was defined with the full width at half maximum obtained from the SSP. We investigated the change in section thickness under different evaluation conditions: the angular range, the height of the bead position, the source-image receptor distance (SID), and image processing. The section thickness decreased when the angular range and height of the bead position increased. Also, the section thickness varied with a change in the SID. The section thickness differed according to the geometry for measuring the section thickness. Thus, the effect of the geometry used for measurement should be considered when the section thickness in tomosynthesis is measured by the bead method.

[Physical imaging properties of a flat panel X-ray detector system].

We report the physical imaging properties of a flat panel detector (FPD) designed for radiographic imaging applications (Revolution XQ/i digital chest imaging system, G.E. Medical Systems). The imaging properties of the detector were evaluated through measurements of the characteristic curve, modulation transfer function (MTF), and Wiener spectrum. The digital characteristic curves of the FPD system were measured for the two tube voltages (80 kV and 120 kV). They showed that the correlation between the pixel values of FPD and the incident exposure to the FPD was a linear correlation. The dynamic range of characteristic curves had a range from about 0.003 to 2 microC/kg at the exposure. The presampling MTFs for different tube voltage were almost the same, when we measured the MTFs at 80 kV and 120 kV. And also, there was no significant difference between the MTFs measured with the slit in the direction parallel to the horizontal direction and with the slit in the perpendicular direction. The relative resolution of the FPD system was a 46% higher than that of ST-V imaging plate of FCR (Fuji Computed Radiography) system at 2 cycles/mm. The digital Wiener spectrum of the FPD system was about 1/10 lower than that of the CR system. Thus the FPD system can provide superior imaging performance due to both high resolution and low noise.