Physical characteristics of a clinical prototype for full-field digital mamography with an a-Se flat-panel detector

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics of a clinical prototype for full-field digital mammography (FFDM) with an amorphous selenium (<i>a</i>-Se) flat-panel detector (FPD) and to compare these results with the currently available systems for FFDM. The effective FPD area consists of 2816 x 2016 pixel matrix having a pixel pitch of 85&mu;m. This yields to theoretical maximum spatial frequency of ~5.9lp/mm. The basic performance of Instrumentarium clinical prototype direct mammography system has been assessed on the basis of measured response curve, the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS), the noise equivalent quanta (NEQ) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) in the clinical setting. The system shows a linear response curve over a dynamic range from 0.4 mR to 57 mR. The presampling MTF was found to be approximately 0.91, 0.72 and 0.50 at 2, 4 and 5.9 (Nyquist frequency) lp/mm. The NEQ is linearly related to the exposure starting from about 8 mR above which value the system can be considered noise quantum limited. The DQE, evaluated in clinical conditions (28kVp Mo-Mo spectrum hardened by 4cm of PMMA) is at close to zero spatial frequency approximately 69% at 46.4 mR and 61% at 8.3 mR. Below 8 mR the DQE(0) falls to 54.4%, 46% and 32.5% at 5.2, 3.0 and 1.4 mR respectively due to structured and electronic noise. The results of quantitative analysis demonstrate a high MTF as we expected due to direct conversion technology and a high DQE over the exposure range from 8 mR to 50 mR. The NEQ shows that the system can be considered noise quantum limited above 8 mR suggesting the exposure level that should be set in the clinical practice to ensure an adequate image quality.