Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging
Published on: September 11, 2011
Dose reduction and image quality assessment in 64-detector row computed tomography of the coronary arteries using an
Marco Francone1, Elisabetta Di Castro, Alessandro Napoli
1Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. Marco.Francone@uniroma1.it
Objective:
To evaluate dose reduction and image quality in coronary 64-slice multidetector computed tomography using an automatic exposure control system (AECs).
Methods:
A total of 101 patients were divided into 4 groups. Tube current was 600 and 800 mAs in groups A and B and adapted at 600 and 800 quality-reference mAs using an AECs in groups C and D. Effective dose and organ-equivalent dose were evaluated. Image noise was quantified as standard deviation of air-space attenuation. Two observers assessed technical adequacy and image quality using a 4-point scale.
Results:
Effective dose ranged from 8.6 mSv (group C) to 15 mSv (group B) with significant dose reduction for examinations performed at 600 mAs (21.7%) and 800 mAs (29.4%). Contribution of organ-equivalent doses showed higher exposure for lungs (42%) and breast (22%). Noise was significantly higher in groups studied with AECs. Larger coronary segments resulted in higher image quality scores without differences between groups.
Conclusion:
Automatic exposure control systems provides images of diagnostic quality with substantial dose reduction.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...

