Automatic Exposure Control in Digital Mammography: Contrast-to-Noise Ratio Versus Average Glandular Dose

Gennaro, Gisella; Golinelli, Paola; Bellan, Elena; Colombo, P.E.; D’Ercole, Loredana; Nallo, A Di; Gallo, L; Giordano, Carlo; Meliadò, Gabriele; Morri, Barbara; Nassivera, E; Oberhofer, Nadia; Origgi, Daniela; Paolucci, M.; Paruccini, Nicoletta; Piergentili, M.; Rizzi, Elisa Busi; Rossi, Raffaella

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-70538-3_98

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Nevertheless, some of the preferences may be difficult or even impossible to implement with the current common designs of mammography systems. 4,6 The other issue unique to CR, as a digital technology intended to be used with existing X-ray units, is that the preference in choosing the goal of the AEC operation may be constrained by the designs of existing AEC systems provided by the mammography X-ray system manufacturers. In addition, most of the existing designs are proprietary and tailored specifically for SF response properties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, there is a fundamental change in the principle function of AEC for digital systems: providing a tradeoff point between image quality and patient dose. 4 What should be the goal of the AEC operation for the new function?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4. Examples of detailed X-ray technique factors on the GE DMR unit with a 4 cm standard breast composition simulated by BR-12.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Configuration of automatic exposure control on mammography units for computed radiography to match patient dose of screen film systems

Yang

Huang

2009

SPIE Proceedings

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Computed radiography (CR) is considered a drop-in addition or replacement for traditional screen-film (SF) systems in digital mammography. Unlike other technologies, CR has the advantage of being compatible with existing mammography units. One of the challenges, however, is to properly configure the automatic exposure control (AEC) on existing mammography units for CR use. Unlike analogue systems, the capture and display of digital CR images is decoupled. The function of AEC is changed from ensuring proper and consistent optical density of the captured image on film to balancing image quality with patient dose needed for CR.One of the preferences when acquiring CR images under AEC is to use the same patient dose as SF systems. The challenge is whether the existing AEC design and calibration process-most of them proprietary from the X-ray systems manufacturers and tailored specifically for SF response properties-can be adapted for CR cassettes, in order to compensate for their response and attenuation differences. This paper describes the methods for configuring the AEC of three different mammography units models to match the patient dose used for CR with those that are used for a KODAK MIN-R 2000 SF System. Based on phantom test results, these methods provide the dose level under AEC for the CR systems to match with the dose of SF systems. These methods can be used in clinical environments that require the acquisition of CR images under AEC at the same dose levels as those used for SF systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%