Optimizing the anode-filter combination in the sense of image quality and average glandular dose in digital mammography

This paper presents the optimized image quality and average glandular dose in digital mammography, and provides recommendations concerning anode-filter combinations in digital mammography, which is based on amorphous selenium (a-Se) detector technology. The full field digital mammography (FFDM) system based on a-Se technology, which is also a platform of tomosynthesis prototype, was used in this study. X-ray tube anode-filter combinations, which we studied, were tungsten (W) - rhodium (Rh) and tungsten (W) - silver (Ag). Anatomically adaptable fully automatic exposure control (AAEC) was used. The average glandular doses (AGD) were calculated using a specific program developed by Planmed, which automates the method described by Dance et al. Image quality was evaluated in two different ways: a subjective image quality evaluation, and contrast and noise analysis. By using W-Rh and W-Ag anode-filter combinations can be achieved a significantly lower average glandular dose compared with molybdenum (Mo) - molybdenum (Mo) or Mo-Rh. The average glandular dose reduction was achieved from 25 % to 60 %. In the future, the evaluation will concentrate to study more filter combinations and the effect of higher W (>35 W) values, which seems be useful while optimizing the dose in digital mammography.