Solid-state fluoroscopic imager for high-resolution angiography: Parallel-cascaded linear systems analysis

Cascaded linear systems based modeling techniques have been used in the past to predict important system parameters that have a direct impact on image quality. Such models are also useful in optimizing system parameters to improve image quality. In this work, detailed analysis of a solid-state fluoroscopic imaging system intended for high-resolution angiography is presented with the use of such a model. The imaging system analyzed through this model uses four 8x8 cm three-side buttable interlined charge-coupled devices (CCDs) specifically designed for high-resolution angiography and tiled in a seamless fashion to achieve a field of view (FOV) of 16x16 cm. Larger FOVs can be achieved by tiling more CCDs in a similar manner. The system employs a CsI:Tl scintillator coupled to the CCDs by straight (nontapering) fiberoptics and can potentially be operated in 78, 156, or 234 μm pixel pitch modes. The system parameters analyzed through this model include presampling modulation transfer function, noise power spectrum, and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The results of the simulations performed indicate that DQE(0) in excess of 0.6 is achievable, with the imager operating at 156 μm pixel pitch, 30 frames/s, and employing a 450-μm-thick CsI:Tl scintillator, even at a low fluoroscopic exposure rate of 1 μR/frame. Further, at a nominal fluoroscopic exposure rate of 2.5 μR/frame there was no noticeable degradation of the DQE even at the 78 μm pixel pitch mode suggesting that it is feasible to perform high-resolution angiography hitherto unattainable in clinical practice