Image Evaluation
Seminar 2
Image quality factors and revision
Joe Bwembya, MSc
Learning outcomes
Understand how exposure factors impact image
quality
Understand the post processing affects image quality
Understand the sources of image noise and its
impact on image quality
Revision
1) Explain the medical legal implications of
omitting each of the following on a radiograph?
Patient’s name
Radiographic marker
Revision
1) Discuss the impact of omitting critical information
on a radiograph on each of the following:
Patient
Radiographer
Hospital
Revision
1) Discuss the criteria for critically evaluating
the elbow joint (10 marks)
2) Explain how post-processing influences
image quality (6 marks)
Task 2
2) Discuss the impact of post-processing on image
quality paying attention to each of the following:
contrast
Resolution
Noise
Task 1 cont’d
2) Discuss the effects of noise on a
radiograph
3) Discuss the techniques to reduce noise
in a radiographic image.
Image quality
4) Discuss how the parameters listed below influence
interpretation of a radiographic image (15 marks):
Contrast
Resolution
Noise
Contrast
It is the difference in the displayed or image signal intensity
between two areas of interest
A high contrast image has a greater difference between the
grey shades displayed but a smaller range of greys.
A low contrast image has a smaller difference (i.e. it’s more
difficult to make out different areas) but a larger range of
greys
Display of contrast
Practice questions
Discuss how windowing affects contrast of a
radiographic image (5 marks)
Discuss how contrast of an image can be improved:
Before exposure
Post exposure
Effects of Windowing on contrast
Image contrast is altered by windowing on the viewing
monitor.
The larger the range of shades of grey displayed, the
smaller the difference in contrast between each shade.
The window is adjusted for the Hounsfield unit of the
tissues that need to be assessed.
Practice questions
Discuss resolution and its impact on image quality (5
marks)
Discuss how resolution of a radiographic image can be
improved (5 marks)
Resolution
Resolution measures how far apart two objects must be
before they can be seen as separate details in the
image.
There are several ways to measure spatial resolution the
easiest is line pairs per mm.
Resolution
The higher the lines pairs per mm, the higher the spatial
frequency which the alternating number of light and dark
regions within the image.
How well a system is able to represent the object spatial
frequency is expressed as the modulation transfer
function (MTF).
Practice questions
Discuss noise and its impact on image
quality (5 marks)
Discuss the techniques to improve image
noise (5 marks)
Noise
Noise is the random variation in the
number of photons forming the image
Noise obscures signal received from the
object thereby degrading image quality
Reducing noise
Noise is reduced by increasing the number of photons used in forming the
image by:
Increase dose (mA)
Use an image receptor with a greater attenuation coefficient (converts
more photons into signal)
Make image receptor thicker
Use larger detector elements
Revision question
1) State the criteria you would use to critically evaluate the
radiographic image quality of an elbow radiograph (10 marks)
2) Explain each of the below artefacts are formed and suggest
strategies to overcome them. (5 marks each)
Fogging artefact, detector drop, halo effect, ghost image and
saturation
ANY QUESTIONS
END
Links and references
Link to CU Library resources:
https://rl.talis.com/3/coventry/lists/3A14F689-5CFD-B850-4703-9EA585902594.html
Other resources include:
https://www.elearning.isrrt.org/mod/book/view.php?id=255
Carver E. & Carver B. (2012) Medical Imaging, Techniques, Reflection & Evaluation
(2nd ed). Edinburg: Elsevier
