A practical method to standardise and optimise the Philips DoseRight 2.0 CT automatic exposure control system.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging Physics
• Radiological Sciences
• Diagnostic Imaging Technology

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT) use has significantly increased in the UK over 30 years.
• Optimizing CT imaging protocols is crucial for minimizing radiation doses to 'as low as reasonably practicable' (ALARP) levels.
• Discrepancies in patient doses and image quality were observed between two Philips CT scanners using the DoseRight 2.0 automatic exposure control (AEC) in automatic mode.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a practical technique for configuring CT examination protocols.
• To harmonize protocols across multiple CT scanners using the DoseRight 2.0 AEC system in manual mode.
• To ensure consistent radiation dose and image quality for patients undergoing CT scans.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a uniform phantom to generate reference images for protocol configuration.
• Employed the DoseRight 2.0 AEC system in manual mode for protocol setup.
• Configured protocols on four CT scanners using the developed technique.

Main Results:

• Achieved excellent agreement in CT scanner configuration regarding average patient dose and image quality.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the phantom-based technique for AEC system calibration.
• Successfully reduced average radiation doses for various CT examinations.

Conclusions:

• CT protocol harmonization is vital for modern radiology departments.
• The developed manual mode configuration technique ensures consistent image quality and radiation dose.
• Radiation dose reduction was achieved without compromising clinical image quality.