PURPOSE To determine relationships among patient size, scanner radiation output, and size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs) for adults who underwent computed tomography (CT) of the torso. MATERIALS AND METHODS Informed consent was waived for this institutional review board-approved study of existing data from 545 adult patients (322 men, 223 women) who underwent clinically indicated CT of the t...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different variables on radiation dose and image quality based on a national database. MATERIALS AND METHODS Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare requested all radiology departments to complete a questionnaire for each of their CT scanners. Information gathered included all scanning parameters for CT head scans. ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Since the introduction of flat panel detector-equipped C-arms, the use of flat panel detector CT (FPCT) in the neuroradiologic angiography suite has become more frequent. This examination implicates its own specific radiation exposure. We used the CT dose index (CTDI) concept and adapted it to the special FPCT geometry to provide a consistent comparison with multisection ...

The purpose of this study was to implement full/half bowtie filter models in a com-mercial treatment planning system (TPS) to calculate kilovoltage (kV) cone-beam CT (CBCT) doses of Varian On-Board Imager (OBI) kV X-ray imaging system. The full/half bowtie filter models were created as compensators in Pinnacle TPS using MATLAB software. The physical profiles of both bowtie filters were imported...

chamber.The concept of CTDI is still the basis for dosimetry at modern CT scanners, although the assessment of CTDI in phantoms has been the subject of much discussion and many revisions were required since its initial definition. A fundamental revision was for example needed when helical CT was introduced and the concept of pitch had to be taken into account. With the introduction of diagnosti...

Beam hardening filters have long been employed in X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) to preferentially absorb soft and low-energy X-rays having no or little contribution to image formation, thus allowing the reduction of patient dose and beam hardening artefacts. In this work, we studied the influence of additional copper (Cu) and aluminium (Al) flat filters on patient dose and image quality and se...

In this study, the relationship between ground-glass opacity (GGO) visibility and physical detectability index in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screening was investigated. An anthropomorphic chest phantom that included synthetic GGOs with CT numbers of -630 Hounsfield units (HU; high attenuation GGO: HGGO) and -800 HU (low attenuation GGO: LGGO), and three phantoms for phy...

The variation in exposure factors and patient dose, between seven centres using identical multislice CT scanners, was investigated for six standard examinations. Dose values were compared with each other and the relevant diagnostic reference level (DRL) for each examination. The range in weighted CT dose index (CTDI(w)) values between the seven centres was small for abdominal scans and head sca...

BACKGROUND The technologic improvements in Multislice scanners include the increment in the X-ray beam width. Some new CT scanners are equipped with a 320 detector row which allows a longitudinal coverage of 160 mm and a total of 640 slices for a single rotation. When such parameters are used the length of the traditional pencil chamber (10 cm) is no more appropriate to measure the standard wei...

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) dosimetry makes use of two radiation parameters: a volume CT dose index (CTDI) and a dose length product (DLP). The volume CTDI quantifies the intensity of the radiation used to perform CT examinations, whereas DLP quantifies the amount of radiation used. CTDI metrics can be converted into patient dose metrics by using dose/CTDI conversion factors. In cardiac CT...