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What is worse: Decreased spatial resolution or increased noise?

Tingberg, Anders LU orcid ; Herrmann, C ; Besjakov, Jack LU ; Almén, A ; Sund, P ; Adliene, D ; Mattsson, S ; Månsson, L G and Panzer, W (2002) Medical Imaging 2002: Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment 4686. p.338-346
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the relative importance of spatial resolution and noise on the image quality of clinical radiographs. Methods: The spatial resolution and noise of fifteen digitised lumbar spine radiographs were altered with image processing. Three different MTF curves and three different Wiener spectra were combined into seven different combinations of spatial resolution and noise. These seven combinations were applied to the original data set, and the resulting images were printed on film. Seven expert radiologists evaluated the clinical image quality of the resulting images with visual grading analysis (VGA) of structures based on the European Image Criteria. Results: The results show that added noise is more deteriorating than... (More)
Purpose: To investigate the relative importance of spatial resolution and noise on the image quality of clinical radiographs. Methods: The spatial resolution and noise of fifteen digitised lumbar spine radiographs were altered with image processing. Three different MTF curves and three different Wiener spectra were combined into seven different combinations of spatial resolution and noise. These seven combinations were applied to the original data set, and the resulting images were printed on film. Seven expert radiologists evaluated the clinical image quality of the resulting images with visual grading analysis (VGA) of structures based on the European Image Criteria. Results: The results show that added noise is more deteriorating than reduced spatial resolution for the clinical image quality. For a given MTF and noise level, the worst was the one with increased noise followed by the one with both reduced MTF and added noise (mimicking a faster screen-film combination). Reduced MTF only gave the highest rating. Conclusions: It is more important to find methods for removing noise than to try to improve the MTF of a radiographic system. A noisy image can sometimes be improved by reducing the spatial resolution. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Proceedings of SPIE
volume
4686
pages
338 - 346
publisher
SPIE
conference name
Medical Imaging 2002: Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment
conference location
San Diego, CA, United States
conference dates
2002-02-23
external identifiers
  • wos:000176405400039
  • scopus:0036029374
ISBN
9780819444318
DOI
10.1117/12.462695
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1c918207-07e0-4a46-a111-74928ad5e7f0 (old id 1297451)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:25:01
date last changed
2024-02-28 19:51:07
@inproceedings{1c918207-07e0-4a46-a111-74928ad5e7f0,
  abstract     = {{Purpose: To investigate the relative importance of spatial resolution and noise on the image quality of clinical radiographs. Methods: The spatial resolution and noise of fifteen digitised lumbar spine radiographs were altered with image processing. Three different MTF curves and three different Wiener spectra were combined into seven different combinations of spatial resolution and noise. These seven combinations were applied to the original data set, and the resulting images were printed on film. Seven expert radiologists evaluated the clinical image quality of the resulting images with visual grading analysis (VGA) of structures based on the European Image Criteria. Results: The results show that added noise is more deteriorating than reduced spatial resolution for the clinical image quality. For a given MTF and noise level, the worst was the one with increased noise followed by the one with both reduced MTF and added noise (mimicking a faster screen-film combination). Reduced MTF only gave the highest rating. Conclusions: It is more important to find methods for removing noise than to try to improve the MTF of a radiographic system. A noisy image can sometimes be improved by reducing the spatial resolution.}},
  author       = {{Tingberg, Anders and Herrmann, C and Besjakov, Jack and Almén, A and Sund, P and Adliene, D and Mattsson, S and Månsson, L G and Panzer, W}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of SPIE}},
  isbn         = {{9780819444318}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{338--346}},
  publisher    = {{SPIE}},
  title        = {{What is worse: Decreased spatial resolution or increased noise?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.462695}},
  doi          = {{10.1117/12.462695}},
  volume       = {{4686}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}