Dose sensitivity of three methods of image quality assessment in digital mammography

Johann Hummel; Marcus Kaar; Rainer Hoffmann; Heinrich Kaldarar; Friedrich Semturs; Peter Homolka; Michael Figl

doi:10.1117/12.910917

3 March 2012 Dose sensitivity of three methods of image quality assessment in digital mammography

Johann Hummel, Marcus Kaar, Rainer Hoffmann, Heinrich Kaldarar, Friedrich Semturs, Peter Homolka, Michael Figl

Proceedings Volume 8313, Medical Imaging 2012: Physics of Medical Imaging; 83134K (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.910917
Event: SPIE Medical Imaging, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Image quality assurance is one of the key issues in breast screening protocols. Although image quality can always be improved by increasing dose this mechanism is restricted by limiting values given by the standards. Therefore, it is crucial for system adjustment to describe the dependency of the image quality parameters on small changes in dose. This dose sensitivity was tested for three image quality evaluation methods. The European protocol requires the use of the CDMAM phantom which is a conventional contrast-detail phantom, while in North America the American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation phantom is proposed. In contrast to these visual test methods the German PAS 1054 phantom uses digital image processing to derive image quality parameters like the noise-equivalent number of quanta (NEQ). We varied the dose within the range of clinical use. For the ACR phantom the examined parameter was the number of detected objects. With the CDMAM phantom we chose the diameters 0,10, 0.13, 0.20, 0.31 and 0.5 mm and recorded the threshold thicknesses. With respect to the PAS 1054 measurements we evaluated the NEQ at typical spatial frequencies to calculate the relative changes. NEQ versus dose increment shows a linear relationship and can be described by a linear function (R = .998). Every current-time product increment can be detected. With the ACR phantom the number of detected objects increases only in the lower dose range and reaches saturation at about 100mAs. The CDMAM can detect a 50% increase in dose confidently although the parameter increase is not monotonous. We conclude that an NEQ based method can be used as a simple and highly sensitive procedure for weekly quality assurance.

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Johann Hummel, Marcus Kaar, Rainer Hoffmann, Heinrich Kaldarar, Friedrich Semturs, Peter Homolka, and Michael Figl "Dose sensitivity of three methods of image quality assessment in digital mammography", Proc. SPIE 8313, Medical Imaging 2012: Physics of Medical Imaging, 83134K (3 March 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.910917

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KEYWORDS

Image quality

Spatial frequencies

Digital mammography

Image quality standards

Mammography

Modulation transfer functions

Gold

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