The detectability of features in an image is ultimately limited by the random fluctuations In density or noise present in that image. The noise in CT reconstructions arising from the statistical fluctuations in the one-dimensional input projection measurements has an unusual character owing to the reconstruction procedure. Such CT image noise differs from the "white" noise normally found in images in its lack of low-frequency components. The noise power spectrum of CT reconstructions can be related to the effective density of x-ray quanta detected in the projection measurements, designated as NEO (noise-equivalent quanta). The detectability of objects that are somewhat larger than the spatial resolution is directly related to NEQ. Since contrast resolution may be defined in terms of the ability to detect large, low-contrast objects, the measurement of a CT scanner's NEQ may be used to characterize its contrast sensitivity.
Keywords: detective quantum efficiency (DQE), noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ), detectability, constrast resolution, noise-power spectrum (NPS), CT reconstruction, image noise
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