DICOM GSPS affects on contrast detection threshold

While previous research has been done to determine the contrast detection threshold in medical images, we have found it difficult to translate the results into settings that can be used for the optimization of image quality. Since many of these papers were done before the widespread use of DICOM GSPS calibrated monitors, how the GSPS affects the detection threshold and whether the median background intensity shift has been minimized by GSPS remain unknown. We set out to determine if the median background affected the detection of a low-contrast object in a clustered lumpy background, which simulated a mammography image. Our results show that shifts in the median background intensity did not affect the detection performance. The contrast detection threshold appears close to +3 gray levels above the background.

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