Digital Radiography, PSP, FPD, and PACS: Key Concepts and Technologies

____ and ____ are both considers digital radiography

PSP and FPD

Which form of processing uses PACS to store images

PSP and FPD

Which form of processing uses a lightbox to view the image

film

____ has a curved response to exposure

film

______ is considered as analog

film

____ utilizes a reader

PSP

______ has a linear response to exposure

digital imaging

PSP used to be

CR (computed radiology)

FPD used to be

DR (digital radiology)

When exposed, PSP reflects a ______ colored glow

violet

When exposed, film reflects a _______ colored glow

neon

What controls contrast in post-processing

LUT (look up table)

In radiography, the ability to accurately image an object; measured in LP/MM (line pairs per millimeters)

(spatial) resolution

What are other terms for resolution

detail, umbra, or sharpness

True/False: brightness and density are the same

false

The level of intensity of a digital image on a display monitor

brightness

What was brightness called when film was around (not fully equated)

density

True/False: density cannot be changed once film is processes

true

True/False: brightness cannot be changed once a digital is processes

false

Density is the __ _______ in digital imaging

IR exposure

Contrast in film is best defined as

the different between adjacent densities

When looking at an image, the rad would want to be more/less contrast

low (for pathology)

Digital contrast is also called

contrast resolution

Contrast resolution is the ability of

a digital system to display subtle changes in the shades of gray

Higher/lower contrast resolution allows for more shades of gray to be demonstrates and the ability to see smaller differences

higher

Changing the contrast resolution should be left up to who

the radiologist

CR can also be called PSP or

cassette-based DR

Computed radiology is digital radiography using a

cassette with a plate that stores energy

True/False: PSP easily replaced film because the same tube, table, and room was used

true

Which processing uses a reader

PSP

Indirect FPD has a ______ _____ and uses _____ technique

light step; more

Direct FPD lacks a _______ ____ and uses _____ technique

light step; less

Direct capture FPD is most used in which modality

mammography

How many types of digital radiography are there

three

PSP captures the latent image, meaning it is a _____________ image

pre-processed

What does PACS stand for

picture archiving and communication system

What type of image receptor is used in conventional radiography

Film placed on 1 or between 2 intensifying screens

What is the term for the digital acquisition modality that uses storage phosphor plates?

Photostimulable phosphor "PSP" image capture also known as "CR" computed radiography

What do the letters "DICOM" stand for?

Digital imaging and communications of medicine

Why is scatter harmful to digital images? What is it also known as in digital imaging?

As the amount of scatter (secondary) radiation increases, the image becomes more fogged, and the image contrast is degraded. More scatter causes an absence of spatial resolution in an image and creates blur. Scatter equates to noise in digital imaging

What is the difference between PSP and FPD systems?

PSP is cassette-based DR (contains a cassette with a plate that stores energy which is placed within a read; then the reader pulls out the plate and scans it); FPD is DR (no reader is used)

Why did the government get involved with converting from PSP Digital to Flat Panel Digital Imaging?

With an increase in radiographic exams (due to the Affordable Care Act [ACA/Obamacare]), the government created the Consolidation Act of 2018. This act basically stated that any CR usage would cause a payment reduction of 7% (which is a lot considering how much hospitals are funded), forcing the adoption of high-efficient (DR) technology in imaging modalities

Of conventional, PSP and FPD, which of the 3 produce(s) a linear exposure response with a wide exposure latitude

PSP and FPD

Of conventional, PSP and FPD, which of the 3 utilizes chemicals to produce an image.

Conventional

What is the difference between a direct and indirect flat panel detector?

Indirect capture has what is called a light step (XR panel [light] digital info.) whereas direct capture does not (XR digital info.). With one less "step", the direct FPD allows for a lower technique than the indirect FPD.

What is the difference between a row and a column?

A row is a horizontal line of pixels running from left to right (defining width/horizontal layout), while a column is a vertical line of pixels running from top to bottom (defining height/vertical layout).

What is the difference between a pixel and a matrix?

A pixel is a basic picture element and is the smallest element in a digital image. A matrix is rows and columns of pixels, giving you the full picture.

Describe what number of pixels do I want and what size of matrix for better detail?

The higher the matrix/more pixels, the better image quality. For instance, a matrix size of 1024x1024 (aka 1,048,576 pixels) is the standard XR image; however, newer (more advance) images have a matrix size of 2048x2048 (aka 4,194,304 pixels)

How were PACs/MIMPS "sold" to hospitals

as a real estate return

PACS is a

networked group of computers

File rooms (replaced by PACS) were turned into

MRI rooms

What does EMR stand for

electronic medical records

What is film's advantage over digital

better detail

What is the main advantage of digital over film

post-processing

What does DICOM do

allows computers to talk to each other

What does pixel stand for

picture element

Pixels replace the _______________ in film

silver halide crystals

More pixels _________ the sharpness of an image

increases

True/False: pixels are on digital plates as well as monitors

true

What are rows and columns of pixels called

a matrix

A matrix forms an

image

How fast the x-ray is converted into a latent photo describes

film speed

The more sensitive, the ______ the film

faster

The faster the film, the ______ x-ray photons needed to create an image

fewer

Faster film = _____ dose

less

Slower film= ______ dose

more

What is the downside to a faster film

decreased resolution/sharpness

Intensifying screens convert 1 x-ray photon into _____ light photons

Which type of processing uses a LUT

digital (CR and DR)

CMOS stands for

complementary metal oxide semiconductor

CCD stands for

charge coupled device

Which type of processing uses CMOS

FPD

Which type of processing uses CCD

FPD

For film, radiographic contrast is primarily controlled by

kVp

For film, optical density on film is primarily controlled by

mAs

For digital, subject contrast is influenced by

kVp

For digital, image noise is influenced by

mAs

A bright image is

underexposed

A dark image is

overexposed

Is digital or film more likely to show a thick ponytail hanging down the back of a chest a-ray

digital (more sensitive)

______ allows us to image a wider range of tissues

digital

Which modality was the first to change to FPD and why

mammo; images would get lost too easily

How is PSP reset

while light at the end of the reader

What was used to change the PSP latent image to a digital image

neon helium laser

What is the FOV

field of view; the light of where the rays are collimated

Noise is a combination of

scatter and low mAs

____ is directly responsible to over/under exposing an image

mAs

Technologists must walk outside the room to check images for

film and PSP

Scatter effects all image processing but more so with

FPD and PSP

What are the three ways one can reduce scatter to a digital image

add grid, collimate, and have optimal kVp

___ plates store and release energy whereas _____ does not

PSP; film

Film ________ to make latent and manifest image

breaks down

Analog/analogue means continually

changing/moving

Slow (thin) film produced more/less light

less

Slow (thin) film has a wider/smaller latitude

wider

Slow (thin) film is further/closer to the y-axis

further

Slow (thin) film is most likely used for

extremities

Slow (thin) film has more/less detail

more

Fast (thick) film has more/less detail

less

Fast (thick) film produced more/less light

more