Image quality assessment in contemporary interventional cardiology laboratories: Spatial and low-contrast video resolution

Two measures of fluoroscopic image quality- high-contrast video spatial res olution and low-contrast video resolution-were assessed in 64 interventiona l cardiology catheterization laboratories. The results of high-contrast spa tial resolution testing indicate variable revels of performance with median values of 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 line pairs/mm at the three revels of magnifica tion. The results of the low-contrast video resolution testing indicate cli nically relevant limitations in performance. This was particularly true whe n testing was performed in a dynamic mode under simulated large patient con ditions. Under these conditions, 50% of systems failed to detect a wire of diameter 0.017 ". In addition, limited system dynamic range was identified in a substantial fraction of laboratories and may contribute to these impor tant variations in performance. Taken together, these findings serve to cha racterize overall system performance in the current era of interventional c ardiology and reaffirm the continued need for image quality assessment prog rams. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.