Pilot study into optimisation of viewing conditions for electronically displayed images

The increased use of soft-copy reporting introduces new concerns over the effect of viewing conditions on the observer's ability to report images. Owing to their lower luminance, electronic display screens may be more susceptible to poor viewing conditions than conventional viewing boxes and there is the potential for images to be displayed in locations not optimised for viewing radiographs. In the present work, the effects of sub-optimal viewing conditions on the observer's performance for images on an electronic display device are investigated. A test object was used to produce a computed radiography image containing a wide range of grey levels. The image was scored under quasi-ideal and sub-optimal conditions and the effect of changing the viewing conditions on the observer's performance determined. Basic photometric quantities were used to characterise the viewing conditions and the degradation in observer performance related to these quantities. The presence of structured reflection had a significant effect on the observer's ability to discern low-contrast objects. The study demonstrates the need for adequate viewing conditions especially when images are displayed on low luminance devices in sub-optimal conditions.