A DEL artifact visible in a radiograph should be corrected by:

A DEL artifact visible in a radiograph should be corrected by:

• A. Repeat exposure with a different image receptor (IR)
• B. Repeat exposure with a different x-ray tube
• C. Reprocess the raw data with a different histogram protocol
• D. Repeat exposure after cleaning both the x-ray tube housing and the image receptor (IR)

Answer: (A)

A DEL artifact is a defect in a detector element within the image receptor. Because the problem is hardware-related in the detector, the way to verify and correct it is to image with a different image receptor. If the artifact does not appear on the alternate IR, the issue is with the original detector and can be addressed by replacement or detector calibration/maps. If the artifact persists even with a different IR, the defect isn’t limited to that detector and would require investigation of other parts of the imaging chain or processing. Cleaning surfaces or changing the x-ray tube won’t remove a fixed detector-element defect, and reprocessing raw data with a different histogram protocol won’t fix a hardware-origin artifact.

A DEL artifact is a defect in a detector element within the image receptor. Because the problem is hardware-related in the detector, the way to verify and correct it is to image with a different image receptor. If the artifact does not appear on the alternate IR, the issue is with the original detector and can be addressed by replacement or detector calibration/maps. If the artifact persists even with a different IR, the defect isn’t limited to that detector and would require investigation of other parts of the imaging chain or processing. Cleaning surfaces or changing the x-ray tube won’t remove a fixed detector-element defect, and reprocessing raw data with a different histogram protocol won’t fix a hardware-origin artifact.