SummaryWe have been engaged in clinical work using DSA, the first in the world, under a joint study agreement with Hitachi Medical Corporation on the use of the Flat Panel Detector FPD since 2001. We are now in the stage where a certain evaluation process has been finished, but the FPD performance study in angiography has just begun, and, therefore, its clinical evaluation results are very few. Therefore, we studied the relativity between clinical images and physical characteristics in order to examine the characteristics of FPD by referencing them to clinical images. We did an evaluation of the clinical images to which their physical characteristics such as granularity, resolution, contrast, etc., are reflected by comparing FPD and I.I. images.

We have been using an X-ray angiography system that incorporates a flat panel detector (FPD) since December 2001. This system is equipped with the scintillator-type FPD PaxScan 4030A from Varian Medical Systems, and for objective comparison of the image intensifier (I.I.) and FPD, the system is constructed so that these detectors can be used alternatively. Using this system and other X-ray angiography systems, visual studies have been conducted on the digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images acquired by FPD and I.I. We have found from the clinical images that the FPD is superior to the I.I. in depiction of fine blood vessels as well as of physical characteristics. Fluoroscopy images acquired by the FPD were not entirely satisfactory, however the improvement made in its performance now permits equal use of the FPD and I.I. systems.

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For physicians who monitor images during interventional radiology (VR), we have built and been using a system that employs a liquid crystal display (LCD) instead of the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT). The system incorporates a ceiling-suspension-type monitor (three-display monitor) with an LCD on each of the three displays for the head and abdominal regions and another ceiling-suspension-type monitor (5-display monitor) with an LCD on each display for the cardiac region. As these monitors are made to be thin and light in weight, they can be placed in a high position in the room, thereby saving space and allowing for more effective use of space in the X-ray room. The system has also improved the efficiency of operators in the IVR room. The three-display folding mechanism allows the displays to be viewed from multiple directions, thereby improving the environment so that the performance of IVR can be observed.

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