Performance characteristics of an amorphous silicon flat panel X-ray imaging detector

An x-ray imaging detector designed for both radiographic and fluoroscopic medical applications; has been developed. The requirement that the detector provide superior imaging in both fluoroscopic and radiographic operation put severe constraints on its design. User requirements and a translation of those requirements to detector performance parameters guided detector design. This paper reports on the performance of a 20.5 x 20.5 cm prototype detector which was a product bf this design effort. The detector was tested using both physical measurements and clinical imaging trials. The frequency dependent DQE is used as a measure of contrast to noise performance. Measurements of DQE were made at both fluoroscopic and radiographic signal levels. In fluoroscopic operation, measurements of lag were also made. The detector performance is compared to that of existing and emerging technologies. Results of clinical studies in both radiographic mode (chest imaging) and fluoroscopic mode (cardiac imaging) are reported.