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Filter, commonly used in Europe has been reported to lower patient computed tomography ( CT ) radiation while improving image quality, Massachusetts General Hospital research presented at the ARRS 2010 annual meeting.

A filter that is commonly used in Europe has been reported to lower patient computed tomography (CT) radiation while improving image quality, according to Massachusetts General Hospital research presented Monday at the annual American Roentgen Ray Society ( ARRS 10 ) meeting.

In an effort to find ways to reduce CT radiation dose, a research team led by Sarabjeet Singh studied the effects of adaptive image filters on image "noise" or graininess, and radiation dose.

Lowering CT radiation dose causes the image to be noisy, making it hard to read, but this type of filter, which has been in use in Europe since 2007, allows low radiation to be used but takes away any image noise, increasing clarity, explained Singh.

The study, performed at Mass General, included 12 patients who received a CT scan in the abdomen and chest at four levels of radiation. Doses for the chest decreased from 150 mAs to 40 mAs and from 150 mAs to 50 mAs for the abdomen.

All of the low-dose images were processed with adaptive filters, explained Singh.

"The filters basically lower image noise, hence allowing us to lower the radiation dose," he said. "[The filters] make noisy images less noisy, and that way, we can lower radiation dose."

Although the filters significantly improve image clarity, Singh pointed out that high radiation doses still produce the best images.

"It's always better to use high radiation in terms of image quality," he said. "But in terms of patient safety, higher radiation is not good."

Mass General will plan to use these filters routinely for CT imaging , Singh said.

Source: ARRS

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