The effect of scatter reduction on the signal-to-noise ratio in computed radiography

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in computed radiography (CR) was assessed by using the computerized image data from storage phosphor radiographs in a modification of the Rose model. A multiple pencil-beam (MPB) imaging device, a conventional 1:12 grid, and an air gap of 90 cm were compared in terms of improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio caused by the reduction of scatter. The MPB device showed better SNRs by a factor of 1.25 compared to the grid and air gap which were approximately equal to each other. This is related to its superiority in scatter control, which has also been shown previously. Air gap screening has not been very popular because of geometrical problems, but in scatter reduction it is still comparable to today's grid technology. The optimization of image information content in CR is briefly discussed.