Could standardizing “commercial off-the-shelf” (COTS) monitors to the DICOM part 14: GSDF improve the presentation of dental images? A visual grading characteristics analysis

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether standardizing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) display devices to the digital imaging and communications in medicine part 14: greyscale standard display function (DICOM part 14: GSDF) would affect the presentation of dental images. METHODS Two COTS display devices from the radiology department of a dental teaching hospital and a laptop computer monitor for reference were calibrated to conform to DICOM part 14: GSDF. Four dental surgeons and two final-year students undertook a relative visual grading analysis of the two devices before and after calibration, under control of the viewing environment. RESULTS Calibrating COTS display devices to conform to the DICOM part 14: GSDF and viewing under reduced ambient light result in a consistent, perceived visual sensation for the presented radiological image. The area under the visual grading characteristics curve (AUCVGC) before calibration is 0.62 CI (0.56, 0.68) and AUCVGC after calibration is 0.51 CI (0.45, 0.57). CONCLUSIONS Standardizing COTS display devices to the DICOM part 14: GSDF can improve image presentation.