Problems and Objectives for Learning, Discussion, Review, and Self Assessment
Blur, Visibility of Detail, and Resolution
Resources and References The Physical Principles of Medical Imaging Online Textbook Visuals for Discussion
Describe the general appearance of a significantly blurred image.
Describe the relationship between blur and visibility of anatomical detail and small objects.
Identify the principle cause of blurred images in human vision.
Identify two causes of blurred images in photography.
Describe three different blur shapes encountered in medical imaging and identify at least one source for each.
Discuss the concept of equivalent blur.
Describe the relationship between blur and image un-sharpness.
Describe the concept of spatial resolution and how it is expressed (units).
Explain how blurring affects spatial resolution.
Explain why spatial resolution is often used to describe the capabilities of a medical imaging system or it's components.
Describe the general process of measuring the resolution of an x-ray imaging system.
Draw and compare a pair of modulation transfer function (MTF) curves for two systems which produce different amounts of blurring.
Explain how a MTF curve relates to visibility of anatomical detail.
Compare the general blur values and visibility of detail for the different medical modalities.