Current modulation boosts CT quality and radiation

X-ray tube current modulation, a popular feature available in newer CT scanners, improves image quality but may result in a higher radiation dose, according to Harvard University researchers.

Dr. Vassilios Raptopoulos, a professor of radiology, and colleagues analyzed the use of tube current modulation in a study of 55 consecutive oncology patients. The patients had undergone contrast-enhanced MSCT with the tube current modulation feature on the z-axis. They found that image quality/signal-to-noise ratio was much improved over a fixed level dose. Use of the feature also resulted in a significantly higher radiation dose, however.

Raptopoulos reported the study at the Stanford Multidetector-Row CT meeting in San Francisco in June.