How does intelligent noise reduction software influence the image quality in pelvic digital radiography: A phantom...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a novel noise reduction software (INR, Canon Europe, Amsterdam, NL) on image quality (IQ) in Digital Radiography (DR) pelvic phantom images.

In total, 53 pelvic phantom images and 360 technical images of a Contrast Detail Radiography phantom (CDRAD) were collected, including 8 different exposure levels (between 0.8 and 40 mAs at 70 kV) and 6 intensities of INR (ranging from settings 0-10). The pelvic images were evaluated by three reporting radiographers using absolute Visual Grading Analysis (VGA). The CDRAD images were analyzed with a CDRAD computer software.

The VGA showed that the images with the INR software had higher IQ than the images with no INR. The observers gave a high VGA score to the images with INR of 3.2 mAs and higher. There was a tendency for an INR level of 5 or 7 to give the highest VGA scores. In addition, the CDRAD study showed a significant improvement in IQ with increasing INR levels at the lower exposure levels.

An improvement in overall IQ was seen at lower exposure levels when the INR software was used both for the VGA and the CDRAD study. Clinical tests including patient images need to be performed before implementing INR in practice to verify accurate diagnostic performance.