Image quality and radiation dose assessment for the clinically applied 16-slice CT scanner using PMMA phantom and quality assurance phantom

Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess the radiation dose delivered accuracy and the acceptable image quality parameter from the 16-slice Philips CT scanner in order to evaluate the current methodology for quality controls of computed tomography systems. The measured volume computed tomography dose index was 101 mGy and the displayed volume computed tomography dose index was 10.2 mGy and the dose length product is 680 mGy*cm for head scan, and the measured volume computed tomography dose index was 6.1 mGy and the displayed volume computed tomography dose index was 6.3 mGy and the dose length product was 587 mGy*cm for body scan, respectively. The image quality parameters were 4.4 HU, 2.3 HU, and 10 HU for uniformity, contrast-to-noise ratio, and computed tomography number accuracy (CT number accuracy) for quality assurance phantom, respectively. We propose that discussions and collaboration regarding patient and particular equipment adjustments be coordinated among radiologists, medical imaging technologists, and medical physicists. This can increase image quality, reduce absorbed radiation, and improve hospital medical care.