A clinical evaluation of the Image Quality computer program, CoCIQ

To provide an objective way of measuring image quality, a computer program was designed that automatically analyzes the test images of a contrast-detail (CD) phantom. The program gives a quantified measurement of image quality by calculating an Image Quality Figure (IQF). The aim of this work was to evaluate the program and adjust it to clinical situations in order to find the detectable level where the program gives a reliable figure of the contrast resolution. The program was applied on a large variety of images with lumbar spine and urographic parameters, from very low to very high image qualities. It was shown that the computer program produces IQFs with small variations and there were a strong linear statistical relation between the computerized evaluation and the evaluation performed by human observers (R-2 = 0.98). This method offers a fast and easy way of conducting image quality evaluations.