Correlation of radiologists’ image quality perception with quantitative assessment parameters: just-noticeable difference vs. peak signal-to-noise ratios

Khan M. Siddiqui M.D.; Eliot L. Siegel M.D.; Bruce I. Reiner M.D.; Jeffrey P. Johnson

doi:10.1117/12.596140

15 April 2005 Correlation of radiologists' image quality perception with quantitative assessment parameters: just-noticeable difference vs. peak signal-to-noise ratios

Khan M. Siddiqui M.D., Eliot L. Siegel M.D., Bruce I. Reiner M.D., Jeffrey P. Johnson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5748, Medical Imaging 2005: PACS and Imaging Informatics; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.596140
Event: Medical Imaging, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The authors identify a fundamental disconnect between the ways in which industry and radiologists assess and even discuss product performance. What is needed is a quantitative methodology that can assess both subjective image quality and observer task performance. In this study, we propose and evaluate the use of a visual discrimination model (VDM) that assesses just-noticeable differences (JNDs) to serve this purpose. The study compares radiologists' subjective perceptions of image quality of computer tomography (CT) and computed radiography (CR) images with quantitative measures of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and JNDs as measured by a VDM. The study included 4 CT and 6 CR studies with compression ratios ranging from lossless to 90:1 (total of 80 sets of images were generated [n = 1,200]). Eleven radiologists reviewed the images and rated them in terms of overall quality and readability and identified images not acceptable for interpretation. Normalized reader scores were correlated with compression, objective PSNR, and mean JND values. Results indicated a significantly higher correlation between observer performance and JND values than with PSNR methods. These results support the use of the VDM as a metric not only for the threshold discriminations for which it was calibrated, but also as a general image quality metric. This VDM is a highly promising, reproducible, and reliable adjunct or even alternative to human observer studies for research or to establish clinical guidelines for image compression, dose reductions, and evaluation of various display technologies.

Citation Download Citation

Khan M. Siddiqui M.D., Eliot L. Siegel M.D., Bruce I. Reiner M.D., and Jeffrey P. Johnson "Correlation of radiologists' image quality perception with quantitative assessment parameters: just-noticeable difference vs. peak signal-to-noise ratios", Proc. SPIE 5748, Medical Imaging 2005: PACS and Imaging Informatics, (15 April 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.596140

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available