AbstractID: 7282 Title: Medical Imaging Display Quality Assurance
ABSTRACT
Correct and effective interpretation of a radiological image is dependent upon the
viewer’s ability to discern very fine detail at minute differences in luminance. Yet there
is little knowledge as to whether, and under what conditions, the eye can perform
accordingly to allow discernment of information at minute changes in luminance. A new
technique is under development that resolves these issues, providing an absolute means to
confirm that the most minute differences in luminance change, at finest detail, can be
discerned.
This new technique provides the basis for quick and effective quality assurance for “soft
copy” image presentations in medical imaging applications such as Cardiology, Digital
Mammography and PACS. Whereas past approaches have depended upon viewer
interpretation of a complex pattern such as SMPTE to indicate display quality, the new
technique is based upon viewer discernment of simple symbology. This approach
elevates the check of image quality from subjective analysis of pattern content to absolute
confirmation that information can be discerned and interpreted. The test can include the
requirement that the viewer must enter a code, as viewed, to confirm to the system that
they can correctly discern and interpret image content. A further extension of this
approach is that the system would prevent presentation of images for analysis until
corrections are made to the display device or viewing environment and confirmation is
received from the viewer that critical information can than be discerned.