Grant: Idea to Innovation

Radiographic imaging is the mainstay of most modern medical imaging departments in hospitals and clinics around the world, including over 20 million radiographic procedures each year in Canada. Due to the health risks associated with exposure to radiation, and the risks due to inconclusive or misleading diagnoses, technical excellence in medical imaging systems is critical to high-quality medical care. In radiology, image-quality excellence is a balance between system performance and patient radiation dose. Unfortunately, not all systems provide patients with the benefits of the highest possible image quality with the lowest possible radiation exposures. This is particularly true for some of the emerging digital technologies that are beginning to make a substantial impact on the practice of radiology. This application describes the development of an instrument that can help those responsible for the production, purchase and care of computed tomography x-ray imaging equipment to ensure their patients receive technical excellence in radiographic imaging. We describe a physical device that can be used to assess imaging equipment on the basis of the modulation transfer function (MTF) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Bringing this type of comprehensive test to the end user will allow imaging facilities to ensure their equipment can be called technically excellent by providing the best possible image quality with the minimum necessary radiation exposure.