Digital Artifacts & Imaging ERRORS

The advantages of CR are its large dynamic range, digital

format, portability, and post-processing capability
But not PERFECT –Imaging Errors can still occur
 Artifacts
• Any irregularity on an image that is not caused
by proper shadowing of tissue by the primary
x-ray beam.

• Are undesirable optical densities or blemishes

on a radiograph.

• Can be very interesting at times. You become

the detective, what caused that?
• CR artifacts require special attention.
• This is due to the fact that CR artifacts may be
produced from various components of the CR system
itself
• Artifacts may also be generated by the users who
are not aware of the proper imaging techniques or
selection of appropriate image processing protocols
• Since CR is also very sensitive to scattered radiation,
it is vital that anti-scattered grids be used as in
conventional radiography.
• Radiographers should be concerned since these may
generate unwanted artifacts that could not be
corrected by any image processing algorithm.
 Artifact Classification
Review of Film/Screen
Artifact Classification
Digital – CR & DR
 OPTIMIZATION OF CR IMAGES
Quality of CR images
•Technologists are the key persons
• delivering good quality radiographs
•dose given to the patients.
•CR images can NOT always be
adjusted after exposing
•CRITICAL to CR/DR Imaging is
Technique, Positioning Collimation.
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Optimization of a CR image quality may be
achieved by optimizing the following
factors
• OBJECT ARTIFACTS:
–Positioning and collimation
• Exposure techniques
• Image processing selection
• Lifetime of the PSP
 CR Artifacts
• Positioning errors
• Collimation errors
• Backscatter radiation
• LUT selection/histogram
 Positioning of Part/ Collimation
• 2 or more two projections on one IR
• Is not a good practice with CR technique,
• since double or multiple exposures on a single
PSP) can lead to a failure of the image
processing software to detect the image
boundary.
• Matching the positioning and collimation with
the image processing parameters is also
crucial.
• Image processing will eventually fail to process
since the input information is totally different.
Errors in collimation can cause mistakes in detection
of the boundary, with a dramatic loss of image
contrast
Loss of contrast due to
partitioning errors
Alignment Error: Same technique, different
centering and collimation

S# 592
S# 664
 􀂡2 on 24 X 30
􀁹Technique adjusted

2 on 24 X 30
􀁹Same technique
􀁹Rescaling error.
 Acquiring good quality images
• Regardless of the acquisition technology, good radiographic
images can be produced only when certain fundamental
requirements are met.
• Appropriate radiographic technique must be used,
• proper tube potential (kVp),
• beam current (mAs),
• source-to-image distance (SID),
• collimation,
• alignment of the X-ray central ray,
• and positioning of detector and subject for the specific
anatomic projection.
Errors in the selection of the anatomic projection can
cause inappropriate processing

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Wrong Algorithm
 Over/Under Exposed
• Even though a CR image may be adjusted to improve
the image visibility in the cases of over- or under-
exposures, it would still be impossible for an image
processing to improve the visibility of clinical features
that were not available in the raw image.

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• Example of artifacts in CR an image with loss of contrast
as a result of improper selection of image processing;
•

the same image now

shows acceptable
image quality as a
result of proper
selection of image
processing.

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Double exposure is a classic operator error
• that constitutes approximately 2% of all rejected
images.
• The consequence of double exposure can be either a
single repeated examination, when an inanimate
object is involved (Figure 11), or two repeated
examinations when two patients are involved (Figure
12).
• In DR, double exposures can also be caused by power
interruptions and communications errors, as well as
by inadequate erasure secondary to overexposure or
erasure mechanism failure.
Double exposure # 12

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25
 IR Artifact - Digital

• Pixel Failure = CR & DR plates should last for

thousands of exposures. Interpolation can be
used to fix defects in a small area.

• Ghosting artifacts = exposure to

environmental radiation or incomplete
erasure.
 Image Receptor Artifacts
• Debris on image
receptor in DR can
be confused with
foreign bodies
Image Receptor Artifacts
Line caused
from dirt
collected
in a CR
Reader
imaging plate was not fully erased before the chest
examination was performed
Dirt on screens
#9
33
 Lifetime of the PSP
• One of the major advantages of CR is that the
phosphor plate is reusable.
• However, there are a number of factors that may
affect the lifetime of an imaging plate.
• The plates are subjected to normal wear and tear
from scratches, scuffs, cracks, and contamination
with dust and dirt, which may interfere with the
production of a good image.
• The establishment of a well-organized quality control
program will play an important role in assessing the
clinical quality of the imaging plate. This may easily
be carried out by artifact assessment and uniformity
evaluation across the plate.
Software Artifacts
Processing Errors
 Digital Radiography Image Sampling

• Image sampling, the plate is scanned, and the

image’s location and its orientation are
determined. The size of the signal is then
determined, and a value is placed on each
pixel. A histogram is generated from the image
data.
• The raw data used to form the histogram are
compared with a “normal” histogram of the
same body part by the computer.
 Software Artifacts
• Image Compression – Used with teleradiology.

Compression techniques “lossless” or “lossy”

 Image Compression
• Lossless compression: image can be
reconstructed to be exactly the same as the
original image. Compressed 10% or 50%.
• Lossy compression: image is compressed
100:1. Used only when fine detail is not
required. Not useful for medical imaging.
Image Compression
 Misuses of image processing include
• compensating for inappropriate radiographic technique,
• compensating for poor calibration of acquisition and display
devices,
• and surreptitious deletion of nondiagnostic images.
• Image processing to recover nondiagnostic images to prevent
re-exposure should be a last resort, not a routine activity.
• Routine reprocessing indicates a problem with automatic
image processing or technical practice. Access to image-
processing software is essential to develop and maintain
appropriate processing parameters