Notebook 9

Digital Artifacts

1. Hardware artifact- Image receptor

Dirt on the light guide from handling of the plate and loading in and out of the CR reader.
The image shows a vertical white line on the axis of the plate travel.

2. Ghosting artifacts
Prior image not completely erased due to over exposure and shows on a later image. A
washed out image of another patient part may be superimposing the anatomy of most
recent x-ray.

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3. Object artifacts- backscatter
Backscatter artifacts result in black spots on the image due to lead or aluminum backing of
the cassette. The handling of the plate not careful then it may be dropped and damaged to
create these kinds of artifacts. Image has thicker dark lines across it.

4. Software artifact- quantum mottle

Blurred, consistent lines on the patient part when there is not enough radiation exposure to
the detector.

5. Grid artifact- moire affect

Occurs when the grid lines are parallel to the scanning laser in the CR reader or in TFT when
the grid interferes with the pixel rows or columns during processing. The image has multiple
parallel lines across it.

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6. Histogram error
Occurs when incorrect histogram is selected for the examined part of the patient. Selecting
the correct histogram is important because the raw data histogram will be compared to the
new histogram and digitally fixed for a better image.

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 References

1. Carlton, R. R., Adler, A. M., & Frank, E. D. (2006). Principles of radiographic imaging: an art and a
science. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.
2. Kmohney Follow. (2013, November 02). Radt 228 mod 5 ppt dig process & manipula. Retrieved
April 28, 2017, from https://www.slideshare.net/kmohney/radt-228-mod-5-ppt-dig-process-
manipula

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