Topic 7 - Intro to X-Rays Flashcards

CONTRAST SNR, FOM Improving contrast in images

1
Q

Equation for magnification?

A

image size/object size or (s1+s2)/s1

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2
Q

What is the penumbra effect?

A

Focal spot size causes blurring.

(p/F) = (S2/S1)

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3
Q

Name some examples of detectors

A
  • Film
  • Film/screen
  • CR plates
  • Image intensifier
  • Amorphous Flat Panel
  • CMOS
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4
Q

What do you have to consider when choosing a detector?

A
  • Efficiency (DQE)
  • Spatial resolution (MTF)
  • Noise (NPS, SNR)
  • Dynamic range
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5
Q

Photons interact and are removed from the beam, what does the attenuation depend on?

A

1) Z
2) Density
3) Thickness

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6
Q

How is contrast calculated?

A

C = (Int1-Int2)/Int1

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7
Q

Show that contrast does not depend on I, only on µ’s and t’s - the subject’s characteristics

A
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8
Q

NB: we’ve seen that

C =1− exp[(µ1 − µ2 )t2]

What happened to t1?

A

These are two uniform absorbers! they only change Intensity!

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9
Q

How does contrast change with x-ray energy?

A

Away from absorption edges, attenuation coefficients decrease with increasing x-ray energy. Therefore, generally speaking the contrast DECREASES with increasing energy.

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10
Q

what does the contrast depend and not depend on?

A

It depends on the detail (t, µ) and on the x-ray energy (through µ), but NOT ON THE AMOUNT OF X-RAYS you’ve used

It also does not tell you how well you can see it.

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11
Q

What does the noise in the image determine?

A

How likely you are to see a detail with a given contrast.

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12
Q

How do you calculate the SNR?

A

SO HERE’S HOW WELL YOU SEE SOMETHING: it depends on C (-> object, xray energy), and it gets better with the SQUARE ROOT of the number of x-rays

N1 = The signal

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13
Q

Why do we get noise?

A

The uncertainty principle, quantum mechanics, poisson distribution

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14
Q

What is the variance of the noise equal to?

A

the mean

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15
Q

standard deviation?

A

sqrt (variance)

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16
Q

how is the dose and snr related?

A

SNR proportional to the sqrt dose

17
Q

what is figure of merit?

A

the performance of the device = is independent of the dose and is a function of energy

18
Q

How do you get the maximum FOM?

A

the contrast decreases with increasing energy (bad) but the dose also increases with increasing energy (good).

The maximum is when you get the best balance between balance between contrast and dose.

You want the maximum to be wide

19
Q

What are ways to improve contrast in X-rays?

A

A. Remove scatter

B. Increase inherent contrast

• Contrast agent

C. Reduce kV

– Photoelectric effect α Z3 E-3

D. Remove effects of overlying tissues

E. Process images

20
Q

Subject contrast? with and without scatter?

A
21
Q

How do you remove scatter?

A
  • Field size
  • Air gap
  • Grid
  • Scanning slit
  • Tissue thickness
22
Q

how do you calculate the SNR for multiple pixels?

A

m = number of pixels

23
Q

How do you calculate the reduction as a result of the air gap ?

A
24
Q

Why does this graph flatten?

A

The graph flattens because as D2 decreases you decrease the amount of scattered that reaches the receptor.

25
Q

What does the Signal depends on? (N)

A

Sample material, thickness, beam energy, and be evaluated precisely only by means of sophisticated MonteCarlo techniques

26
Q

How do grids reduce noise? and how do you calculate the grid ratio?

A

By removing scatter as scattered photons have different angles that do not penetrate the grid.

grid ratio = t/d

27
Q

How do you calculate selectivity?

A
28
Q

How do you calculate contrast improvement?

A
29
Q

How do you calculate bucky factor?

A
30
Q

How do you calculate the contrast improvement?

A
31
Q

Grid Selection factors

A

1) contrast improvement
2) patient exposure
3) x-ray tube loading

32
Q

How does tissue thickness reduce scatter?

A

making it thinner reduces scatter

33
Q

Other methods of contrast improvement?

A

Digital post-processing

  • Contrast agents (Iodine,barium)
  • Dual energy (take radiographs at 2 energies dominated by photoelectric effect and compton scatter)
  • Digital subtraction