A multiparameter optimization of digital mammography.

Multiparameter optimizations have been carried out for a wide range of digital mammography system configurations and requirements, with the aim of optimizing the image quality for a given patient dose. These conditions include a range of slot widths for scanning mammography systems, exposure times from 1 to 10 s, focal spot sizes from 80 to 800 microns, a range of detector resolutions and noise levels, dose restrictions, patient thicknesses and targets, and x-ray tube targets. The influences of these on the optimum system configuration in terms of tube potential, filtration, source to patient distance and target magnification are discussed. It is demonstrated that x-ray tube power constraints can significantly restrict the optimum magnification for slot scanning systems, with the result that poor-resolution detectors are not suited for use in a scanning configuration, and that large-focal-spot-good-detector resolution combinations are more suitable. The use of a detector with increased width, raised tube potential and reduced amount of added filtration is shown to be helpful in reducing x-ray tube power limitations. It is shown that, in many cases, correct optimization can bring the detail SNR for an examination using a given detector-x-ray tube configuration to within 10-15% of the SNR achieved with the optimum combination. This gives the designer some scope to consider other factors such as cost and the implications of image size on storage space.