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Updated: May 16, 2026

X-ray Dose Reduction through Adaptive Exposure in Fluoroscopic Imaging
Published on: September 11, 2011
New exposure indicators for digital radiography simplified for radiologists and technologists
Steven Don1, Bruce R Whiting, Lois Jo Rutz
1Electronic Radiology Laboratory, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 510 S Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. dons@mir.wustl.edu
New digital radiography standards from IEC and AAPM simplify exposure monitoring. Radiologists and technologists must learn three new terms: exposure index, target exposure index, and deviation index for accurate interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging Physics
- Radiologic Technology
Background:
- Digital radiography (DR) has evolved, necessitating updated standards for exposure monitoring.
- Existing terminology in DR standards can be proprietary and confusing for practitioners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To educate radiologists and technologists on the essential aspects of new digital radiography standards.
- To clarify the clinically relevant information within updated exposure monitoring guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of new standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC standard 62494-1).
- Review of guidelines from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM Task Group 116).
Main Results:
- Development of similar, unified standards for exposure monitoring in digital radiography by IEC and AAPM.
- Elimination of proprietary and confusing terminology in favor of standardized terms.
Conclusions:
- Radiologists and technologists need to familiarize themselves with three key terms: exposure index, target exposure index, and deviation index.
- Understanding these new terms is crucial for effective use of the updated digital radiography standards.
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