Effect of slow display on stack-mode reading of volumetric image datasets using an anthropomorphic observer

Abstract

Active-matrix liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are becoming widely used in medical imaging applications. With the increasing volume of CT images to be interpreted per day, the ability of showing a fast sequence of images in stack mode is preferable for a medical display. Slow temporal response of LCD display can compromise the image quality/fidelity when the images are browsed in a fast sequence. In this paper, we report on the effect of the LCD response time at different image browsing speeds based on the performance of a contrast-sensitive channelized-Hotelling observer. A correlated stack of simulated cluster lumpy background images with a signal present in some of the images was used. The effect of different browsing speeds is calculated with LCD temporal response measurements established in our previous work. The image set is then analyzed by the model observer, which has been shown to predict human detection performance in non-Gaussian lumpy backgrounds. This allows us to quantify the effect of slow temporal response of medical liquid crystal displays on the performance of the anthropomorphic observer. Slow temporal response of the display device greatly affects the lesion contrast and observer performance. This methodology, after validation with human observers, could be used to set limits for the rendering speed of large volumetric image datasets (from CT, MR, or tomosynthesis) read in stack-mode.