Radiological Imaging Portable Computed Radiography

Radiological Imaging

Portable Computed Radiography vs. Portable Digital Radiography

The Objective in this case study research proposal is to evaluate briefly the system most suited for the use of evaluation of the catheter positioning in the chest of the patient in the Intensive Therapy Unit (UTI) environment. Traditionally these images are difficult to process. The aim of this study is in making a determination as to whether the images produced through Digital radiography or those produced through Computed radiography is optimal in terms of the best system in order to reduce risk to the patient due to higher radiation doses or incorrect positioning. This process of imaging in relation to the computed radiography is accomplished through use of a portable x-ray generator - an anthropomorphic chest phantom.

Methodology:

Through simulation of the patient through the attachment of various catheters and lines hard copy images are produced for evaluation purposes. Radiologists and Radiographer will be those to evaluate the produced images. Identified as key is to keep any many variables as possible constant. This will be achieved through experimentation at a single location using both the computed radiography plate as well as the Portable Flat-Panel digital detector. The experiment will be inclusive of imaging of the phantom through use of various exposures on each system in the production of hard-copies for assessment and evaluation purposes.

Introduction:

There exists several types of imaging that are used by the Radiology teams at local hospital and healthcare institutions with specific use in imaging processes that target the desired imaging in relation to the disease or symptoms of the individual who is being imaged for diagnosis and possible treatment.

Literature Review:

The Department of nuclear medicine and diagnostic Imaging, at Kyoto University School of Medicine and the physicians named as Tadamura, Kubo, Yamamuro, and Konishi wrote in their work that "Nuclear cardiology has played a significant role in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with coronary artery disease. MRI and multidector-row CT (MDCT) has recently been introduced in the filed of clinical cardiology. For the management of patients with suspected coronary artery disease, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of various imaging modalities. Tadamura, Kubo, Yamamuro, & Konishi (1998). The work entitled "Digital Imaging with a Photostimulable Phosphor in the Chest of Newborns" states that when comparing imaging of newborn mediastinum, lung bones, and soft tissues the images ere "significantly better on computed radiographs than on half-exposure computed radiographs and that visualization of the lungs, bones and soft tissues was statically significantly better on screen-film radiographs than half-exposure computed radiographs. Image density was statistically better on computed and half-exposure computed radiographs than on screen-film radiographs." (Cohen, Katz, Kalasinski, White, Smith, & Long)

Computed radiography is the use of "conventional radiographic equipment to expose a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate to create a digital image similar in appearance to screen-film radiograph. The potential advantages of computed radiography over screen-film radiography include electronic image distribution, image postprocessings, and reduction of radiation exposure to the patient." Don M.D. et al. (1998).

Findings in the study included the fact that: "Computed radiography was equivalent to screen-film radiography in the detection of pulmonary edema." Further, it was found that: "contrary to concern that noise in computed radiography may be misinterpreted as a disease that there was no tendency for FP responses to account for significant differences between computed radiographs at any exposure and screen-film radiographs."

It was also found that; "for image quality, there were no significant differences between any computed radiographic and screen-film radiographic exposure. Our conclusion is similar to that drawn from findings of a study of hyaline membrane disease The most important finding in this study is revealed in the fact that computed radiography has an advantage over screen-film radiography which has a potential at all times for exposure to radiation which makes the individual vulnerable for exposure to biological consequences and danger. The conclusion according to Ludwig, et al. (2001) is that "the flat-panel detector has diagnostic performance superior to that of conventional screen-film storage-phosphor radiography for detecting shall artificial osseous lesions at clinical exposure settings. With the flat-panel detector, exposure may be reduced by a sum of 50% in order to gain satisfactory