Comparison of viewing angle and observer performances in different types of liquid-crystal display monitors

Evaluating clinical implications of 15-mega-sub-pixel liquid-crystal display in phase-contrast mammography

BACKGROUND

Phase-contrast mammography (PCM) systems characteristically yield sharp images with edge enhancement and high-resolution 25-μm/pixel mammograms. However, not all PCM image information can be shown on the display at a resolution of 5-megapixel (5-MP), although 5-MP monitors are recommended for interpretation of digital mammograms. Therefore, we investigated the potential utility of a 15-mega-sub-pixel (15-MsP) display for PCM images.

METHODS

We used a monitor that offered both 5-MP and 15-MsP displays by using a sub-pixel drive (SPD) technique to increase the spatial resolution of the monitor by threefold in the direction of the sub-pixels. Contrast-detail mammography phantom images were evaluated visually by four radiologic technologists. In this study, four display magnification ratios were used and the calculated image quality figures (IQFs) were compared with those of a 5-MP display.

RESULTS

The detection capability of the 15-MsP display was significantly better than that of the 5-MP display at magnification ratios of 49 and 100 %. At other magnification ratios, the detection capability of the 15-MsP display was higher than that of the 5-MP display, but the difference was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

A 15-MsP display has the potential to provide better detection than that provided by conventional 5-MP displays. A 15-MsP display using SPD technology is suitable for high-resolution digital mammograms, such as those produced by PCM systems.

Spatial resolution and noise in organic light-emitting diode displays for medical imaging applications

We report on the resolution and noise characteristics of handheld and workstation organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays in comparison with liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The results demonstrate advantages, in terms of sharpness, of handheld OLED displays with modulation transfer function (MTF) values exceeding 0.60 at the Nyquist frequencies. The OLED workstation included in this study exhibits significant signal contamination among adjacent pixels resulting in degraded resolution performance indicated by horizontal and vertical MTF values of 0.13 and 0.24 at the Nyquist frequency. On the other hand, its noise characteristics are superior to the LCD workstation tested. While the noise power spectral (NPS) values of the OLED workstation are 8.0×10(-6) mm2 at 1 mm(-1), the LCD workstation has NPS values of 2.6×10(-5) mm2. Although phone-size OLED displays have superior resolution and noise per pixel, the perceived resolution characteristics at appropriate viewing distances are inferior to tablet-size and workstation LCDs. In addition, our results show some degree of dependency of the resolution and noise on luminance level and viewing orientation. We also found a slightly degraded resolution and increased low-frequency noise at off-normal orientations in the handheld displays.

The validity of different display monitors in the assessment of dental implant site dimensions in cone beam computed tomography images

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the differing contrast resolution of various LCD monitors affects the reliability or accuracy of measurements of proposed implant sites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Edentulous areas of human dry skulls were marked with radiopaque markers in order to standardize the plane of the transverse cross-sections of the ridges and path of measurements. The skulls were imaged by a CBCT device and the images stored in proprietary format on the workstation. The data sets were then transferred, with the proprietary reformatting software, to two different laptops using CDs. Transverse cross-sectional images of the ridges were reformatted on all three computers and ridge dimensions were recorded using the linear measurement tool of the proprietary software. Ridge dimensions were recorded directly from the three different monitors by two observers and compared to measurements recorded directly from the bone. The measurement errors and intra- and inter-examiner reliability were calculated for each monitor and compared with each other.

RESULTS

Intra- and inter-examiner reliability scores for the measurements recorded from all three devices were very high and ranged between 0.993-0.999. The mean of the absolute errors was 0.55 mm for the workstation, 0.61 mm for laptop 1 and 0.68 mm for laptop 2. The absolute errors were statistically significant for all three monitors (p-value < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the absolute errors obtained from the three monitors.

CONCLUSIONS

No differences in the reliability or accuracy of measurements of implant site dimensions were obtained using color LCD monitors with different contrast resolution capabilities.

Performance evaluation of soft copy display systems according to AAPM TG18 protocol

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the display performance of the liquid crystal display monitors according to the American association of physicists in medicine task group 18 (AAPM TG18) protocol at prior and after new calibration. We measured minimum and maximum luminance, luminance ratio, luminance and contrast response, luminance angular and spatial dependency, resolution, veiling glare and chromaticity quantitatively for 33 medical displays. Display noise was evaluated only visually. The mean maximum luminance and luminance ratio were 386 and 273 cd m(-2), respectively. The mean deviation of measured luminance and contrast response from expected response associated with the digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) grayscale standard display function (GSDF) were 9.76 and 2.35 % at prior calibration and 1.23 and 0.26 % after recalibration, respectively. In luminance uniformity test the mean maximum luminance deviation was 16 %. Luminance method was used in the spatial resolution test and the mean percent luminance difference was 12 % at the center. The mean glare ratio was 1 154. The average color uniformity parameter across the display area of each display device was 0.0093. Majority of the test results were in good agreement with the criteria recommended by AAPM TG18 report. Considerable improvement was observed in display luminance and contrast response with respect to expected response of DICOM GSDF after new calibration for some displays.

Effect of angular performance on the chromaticity of grayscale images displayed on medical liquid-crystal displays

Although variation of chromaticity in medical liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) has created interest in the quality assurance and quality control of display devices for medical use, it is unknown how chromaticity varies with the viewing angle. Our aims in this study were to investigate the variations of chromaticity in grayscale images displayed on medical LCDs depending on viewing angles, and to examine color discrimination at different viewing angles. Variations in chromaticity, Δu'v', between 0° and each viewing angle (-60° to +60°) were investigated. The chromaticity of each LCD varied as the viewing angle changed. We examined confidence levels of color discrimination at different viewing angles by rotating the LCD for ten observers. When the viewing angle and variation in chromaticity increased, the confidence levels of color discrimination increased. Our results indicated that observers, such as radiologists and radiological technologists, could recognize variation in chromaticity at different viewing angles.

Chromaticity and correlated color temperature of the white point in medical liquid-crystal display

PURPOSE

The color characteristics of medical liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) have become one of the main interests in quality assurance and quality control of medical display devices. It is necessary to evaluate variations of the color characteristics in medical LCDs in order to provide consistent color characteristics for image reading. In this study, we characterize the color characteristics in grayscale images displayed on medical LCDs.

METHODS

Eight medical color LCDs and eight medical monochrome LCDs were used in this study with operating times ranging from 800 to 25 000 h. Default settings of correlated color temperature (CCT) of white points for all color LCDs were set at 7500 K. We measured chromaticity in the Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage (CIE) u'v' color space and CCT of the white point at 18 luminance levels. A colorimeter and grayscale test patterns with various luminance levels were used for the measurements. First, we examined differences in chromaticity and CCT at 18 luminance levels for each LCD. Second, we compared chromaticities of the different LCDs. Then, chromaticity and CCT of LCDs were measured at different ambient light conditions (30 and 560 lux) and compared to those measured in a dark room. Finally, the relationship between operating times and CCT was evaluated.

RESULTS

The chromaticities of monochrome LCDs changed toward the blue and CCT increased as luminance decreased. In color LCDs, the chromaticity and CCT of the white point except at the minimum luminance were nearly constant to those measured at the maximum luminance. We observed differences in chromaticity between color and monochrome LCDs because of the nonadjustable white point of monochrome LCDs. When the ambient light increased, chromaticity varied, and CCT decreased on every LCD. Ambient light had a much greater impact on chromaticity and CCT at lower luminance levels. The CCT of LCDs decreased in longer operating times. The grayscale of LCDs with longer operating times was measured to be more yellowish due to the degradation of cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results clearly indicate that the white point in grayscale images displayed on medical LCDs changes depending on luminance levels, color or monochrome LCDs, ambient light conditions, and operating times. These data provide useful information to understand color characteristics of LCD for image reading, especially for quality assurance and quality control of LCDs.

[Objective evaluation of visual fatigue for reading of radiographs displayed on medical-grade liquid-crystal displays]

The aim of this study was to evaluate visual fatigue objectively by measuring accommodation time and critical fusion frequency (CFF) before and after reading posteroanterior chest radiographs displayed on medical-grade liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) under different monitor conditions. A color LCD (500, 170 cd/m²) and a monochrome LCD (500 cd/m²) were used in this study. Six observers independently kept reading the radiographs for two hours to understand various lung nodules in the "Fatigue Session". Objective visual fatigue was measured by using the accommodation device and the CFF meter before and after the Fatigue Session. The ambient lighting of the laboratory was set at 35 lux. Both the accommodation time and the CFF between before and after the Fatigue Session indicated statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Our results on accommodation time and CFF before and after reading the radiographs on medical-grade LCDs indicated that visual fatigue could be evaluated objectively.