Computed radiography &
Digital Radiography
Dr. Muhammad bin zulfiqar
PGR-1
SIMS/ SHL.
Basics of Digital
Language
Byte
⚫ The basic unit of binary coded information
⚫ Kilobyte—210 – 1024 bites
⚫ Megabyte—1024 times1024bites
5
Performance parameters
⚫ Pixel: Smallest complete sample of an image. Has a varied set
of tones in shades of white/ black/grey. Expressed in
binary codes (bits).
⚫ Size of the pixel : Smaller the size , better
resolution.
CR- 50 to 200 microns, DR- 100 to 200 microns, DM- 50 to
100 microns.
⚫ Gray Scale: Shades of Gray in between pure black and pure
white.
⚫ Bit Depth: No of shades to define each pixel ,measured as no of
bits. Larger the depth, incr gray scale and large file size.
Performance Parameters(contd..)
⚫ Spatial Resolution: finer details, diff objects in an image.
Depends on sampling frequency and no of pixels.
expressed in lp/mm.
⚫ Contrast Resolution: Color or gray scale differentiation.
Indicate the no of shades of grey that a detector can
capture.
⚫ File Size.
DIGITAL PROJECTION
RADIOGRAPHY
DEPENDS ON COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE
DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHIC
IMAGE
DIGITAL PROJECTION RADIOGRAPHY
COMPUTED RADIOGRAPHY DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY
(CR) (DR)
X-RAY
S
CR
CR PLATE
SCANNER
11011101
X-RAY
S
DR
DETECTOR
S
11011101
Computed Radiography (CR)
⚫ Been around since 1980-81
⚫ Uses same radiographic equipment
⚫ No change in X-ray machine
⚫ Uses an imaging plate
⚫ Contains a photostimulator phosphor
⚫ Need a cassette reader
⚫ Images can be sent to a PACS
COMPUTED RADIOGRAPHY
(CR):
USES PHOTOSTIMULABLE PLATE (IMAGE
PLATE) INSTEAD OF FILM, AS THE IMAGE
RECEPTOR.
CR USES CASSETTE THAT LOOKS VERY
SIMILAR TO CONVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHIC
CASSETTE.
Computed Radiography (CR)
⚫ Re-usable metal imaging plates replace film
& cassette
⚫ Uses conventional bucky & x-ray
equipment
CR SYSTEM
COMPONENTS
⚫ CASSETTES (phosphor plates)
⚫ ID STATION
⚫ IMAGE PREVIEW STATION
⚫ DIGITIZER
⚫ VIEWING STATION
CR PLATE !!!!!
DOES NOT USE SCREENS OR
FILM
(CONVENTIONAL FILM)
CR PLATE
CASETTE CONSTRUCTION
⚫ LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM
⚫ PLASTIC
⚫ STEEL FRAME
FRONT PANEL MADE OF LOW ATTENUATION
CARBON FIBER
CROSS-SECTION OF CR
PLATE
PROTECTIVE LAYER
PHOSPHOR LAYER
ANTI-HALO & REFLECTIVE LAYER
BASE
BACKING LAYER
PHOSPHOR LAYER BASE
⚫ Ba FX: Eu +2 ⚫ PET- POLYETHYLENE
TERAPHTALATE
PROTECTIVE LAYER
FLUORINATED POLYMER MATERIAL
PROTECTS PHOSPHOR LAYER
ANTI-HALO LAYER + REFLECTIVE
LAYER
⚫ PREVENTS LASER FROM PASSING THROUGH.
⚫ REFLECTED LIGHT FROM PHOSPHOR IS
ALLOWED TO PASS.
BACKING LAYER
⚫ PROTECTS THE BASE FROM DAMAGE.
LEAD COATING
SCATTER
CR CASSETTE IS
PROTECTING IMAGE PLATE
FROM DAMAGE
+
IS THE STABLE VEHICLE
FOR TRANSPORT AND
PLACEMENT OF THE
CASSETTE UNDER THE
PATIENT
BACK PANEL CONTAINS LEAD
FOIL TO PROTECT THE PLATE
FROM BACKSCATTER !!!
BACK PANEL ALSO CONTAINS
CHIP TO RECORD PATIENT
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
REMOTE OPERATOR
PANEL
CR Operation
(Europium Activated Barium FluoroHalide) BaFX:Eu , (X=
Cl, Br, or I)
Add module code number and lesson title 29
The principle of PSP
PMT AD
C
CB
Trap
Excitation Storage Emission
Add module code number and lesson title 30
LUMINESCENCE
Impurities in the crystal lattice are responsible for
luminescence.
As the concentration of impurity ions increase the
greater the intensity of the luminescence.
CR screens use barium fluorohalides doped with
europium (europium is the impurity in the crystal).
LUMINESCENCE
When phosphors are stimulated with x-ray photon
energy electron pair holes are created.
In effect, europium is raised to an excited state and
upon luminescence it is returned to its ground Eu2+ state.
This mechanism holds for both spontaneous
luminescence and photostimulated luminescence
Higher Energy
- Elect ron
State
Photon pumps
electron to
X-Ray higher energy state
Photon
Lower Energy - - - - - - - - -
Elect ron - - - - - -
- - -
State - - -
- - - - - -
LUMINESCENCE
The shifting of europium from its excited state back to
its ground state for both spontaneous and photostimulated
luminescence is about 0.6 - 0.8 microseconds.
With screen-film imaging these crystals spontaneously
luminescence to expose a film, but with CR imaging the
luminescence occurs, then there is also
photoluminescence that occurs when the screen is
stimulated by a narrow beam of infrared light.
LUMINESCENCE
The holes or vacancies in the lattice are portions of the
lattice normally occupied by halogens (fluoride, bromide,
or iodine).
These vacancies will trap free electrons when irradiated
and are called Farbzentren centers or F-centers.
When the photostimulable plate is exposed to high
frequency light, usually from a helium laser, the electrons
in these F-centers are liberated and cause luminescence at
readout.
PSP Casette and
digitizer PSP
(Images courtesy of
AFGA) Workstatio
Add module code number and lesson title 36
n
Reading Imaging Plate
⚫ Reader scans plate with laser
⚫ Laser releases
electrons trapped in
high energy
states
⚫ Electrons fall to low
energy states
⚫ Electrons give up
energy as visible light
Lower Energy
Electron State
Reading Imaging Plate
⚫ Reader scans plate
with laser light using
rotating mirror
⚫ Film pulled through
scanner by rollers
⚫ Light given off by
plate measured by
PM tube &
recorded by
computer
Conventional CR Scanning
THE LATENT IMAGE WILL
REMAIN STORED FOR 24
HOURS.
IT WILL FADE THROUGH
PHOSPHORESCENCE
FADING
⚫ 25% OF STORED ⚫ WITHIN 8 HOURS
ENERGY
CR AFTER
CR PLATE EXPOSURE IS
INSERTED INTO
CR SCANNER
CR SCANNER/READER
READOUT
THE SCANNER SCANS THE
IMAGE PLATE WITH LASER
LIGHT AND READS THE
LATENT IMAGE FROM THE
PHOSPHOR
CR Exposure & Readout
LASER
HELIUM-NEON (633 nm)
LASER BEAM SWEEPS THE
PLATE IN RASTER FASHION
LASER
PM
TUBE
LIGH
T
GAT AMPLIFIER ADC
E
LASER 633 nm
PHOTOSTIMULABLE LUMINESCENCE
390-400 nm
PLATE & F-CENTERS
LASER SPOT SIZE –
100 MICROMETERS
PIXEL SIZE –
100 MICROMETERS
P.M. TUBE DETECTION
SENSITIVITY MATCHED TO
BLUE-PURPLE PSL
(390-400 nm)
AFTER SCANNING THE CR
PLATE NEED TO BE
CLEARED FROM RESIDUAL
SIGNAL
PLATE EXPOSED TO HIGH
INTENSITY SODIUM VAPOR
OR
FLUORESCENT LIGHT
⚫ After read-out, plate erased using a bright light
⚫ Plate can be erased virtually without limit
⚫ Plate life defined not by erasure cycles but by
physical wear
IMAGE DISPLAY
Typical image plate can be
reused thousands of times
CR Resolution
⚫ Small cassettes have better spatial resolution
⚫ Smaller pixels
⚫ More pixels / mm
IMAGE CHECK-INDEX
IMAGE
MANIPULATION-WINDOWING
PICTURE DESTINATION
-PACS
PACS
CR CHARACTERISTIC
CURVE
⚫ VERY WIDE LATITUDE
CR SYSTEMS
⚫ LESS RADIOGRAPH REPEATS
⚫ Much greater latitude than
screen/film
⚫ Plate responds to many
decades of input exposure
⚫ under / overexposures unlikely
⚫ Computer scale inputs
exposure to viewable
densities
⚫ Unlike film, receptor separate from
viewer
CHARACTERISTIC CURVE
LATITTUDE OF
FILM
LATITTUDE OF CR
IMAGE CAN BE SALVAGED WITH
CR
⚫ 500% OVEREXPOSURE
⚫ 80% UNDEREXPOSURE
USE ADEQUATE KVP
HARD COPY GENERATED IN
LASER PRINTER
CR SYSTEM EFFICIENCY
CHARACTERISTIC
QDE- QUANTUM DETECTION EFFICIENCY
NO NEED FOR SCREENS
QDE:
THE MEASURE OF THE EFFICIENCY OF CR
SYSTEM TO CONVERT REMNANT X-RAYS TO
USEFUL IMAGE SIGNAL
QDE PATIENT DOSE
Digital Radiography (DR)
Receptor provides direct digital output
No processor / reader required
Images available in < 15 seconds
Much less work for technologist
Amorphous Selenium Detector
69
CCD Based Detection System
72
PACS and DICOM
⚫ THE ROLE OF PACS :
A Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) aims to replace
conventional analogue film and paper clinical request forms and reports with a
completely computerized electronic network whereby digital images are viewed on
monitors in conjunction with the clinical details of the patient and the associated
radiological report displayed in electronic format.
⚫ The ROLE OF DICOM:
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a standard for
handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging) is a
standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical
imaging. It includes a file format) is a standard for handling, storing, printing, and
transmitting information in medical imaging. It includes a file format definition and
a network communications protocol.
DICOM enables the integration of scanners, servers, workstations, printers, and
network hardware from multiple manufacturers into a picture archiving and
communication system DICOM enables the integration of scanners, servers,
workstations, printers, and network hardware from multiple manufacturers into a
picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The different devices come
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