Chapter 4 (Image quality) Flashcards
Pixel Value
Given in hounsefield units. is a numerical representation of the attenuation value of a voxel of tissue as compared with that of water for an individual CT system.
Partial Volume Averaging
Occurs when multiple types of tissue are represented by a single voxel. The attenuation coefficients for each tissue type are averaged, yielding a single pixel value whose HU attempts to represent the entire contents of the voxel.
Reducing voxel dimension =
Less need for partial volume averaging. The smaller a voxel the less there is a chance that attenuation coefficients will differ. Simplest method is to reduce section width (Thins)
Formula for Pixel Dimension (in relation to DFOV)
d= DFOV(mm) / matrix size
standard matrix size in CT imaging
512 pixels X 512 pixels
Scan field of view (SFOV)
determined by the size ( x and y axes) of the detector array. controls the diameter of the circular data acquisition field within the CT gantry. Mostly a range of 48-52 cm . Most systems have multiple choices. Varying SFOV may also vary filtration and other adaptations to improve image quality.
Display field of view (DFOV)
Chosen by the CT operator on the basis of the part size in question. Selected DFOV determines what portion of the acquired data will be displayed accross the matrix. (What you select to recon)
Choosing a smaller DFOV =
limits anatomic area displayed, increases the size of the displayed anatomy and reduces pixel dimension and the volume of each voxel
What three technical parameters are pixel dimension and voxel volume controlled by
matrix size, DFOV, section width (z)
actual size of pixel never changes, just the amount of tissue spacially localized to each voxel
Less tissue in each voxel =
reduces partial volume effect. which improves image quality.
Cartesian Coordinate System
uses the x-y-z axis, used to adjust image centering. Can be reffered to as RAS (for righ, anterior, and superior)
Magnification
electronic feature of the system software, has no effect on pixel/voxel dimension.
Windowing
used to describe the process of gray-scale mapping of the CT image. (Controls Image contrast)
how many bits of data per pixel can the typical CT system display
12
typical range of hounsefield scale CT numbers
-1024HU to + 3071HU
How many shades of gray are possible and how many can we see?
4096 are possible
dyanmic range of monitors can display 256
human eye can only differentiate 60-80 individual shades
What happens to pixels with values ouside of the image window
they are displayed as either black or white
pixels with a CT number lower than the set range?…higher?
lower= appears black higher= appears white
how many pixel values for each shade of gray will a WW(window width) setting of 256 demonstrate?….WW2560?
There are 256 shades of gray available to display. 4096 possible pixel number. WW determines how many consecutive CT hounsefield units will be displayed by a single shade of gray. Therefore
WW256= 1 pixel value per shade of gray
WW2560= 10 pixel values per shade of gray
Window Level
The pixel value, given in HU, at the center of the window width (controls brightness)
. Usually set at or near the hounsefield value of the primary tissue of interest. Example Window width of 150 (-25 to +125) is centered at a CT number of +50HU
Image display filters
do not affect the process of raw data reconstruction; rather they alter the display characteristics of an image after the reconstruction process.
name 2 analytic functions of the CT system
region of interest (ROI)
Linear distance measurement