Basics of Film Processing in Medical Imaging

Author:  Arthur Haus & Susan Jaskulski
ISBN:  9780944838785
Published:  1997 | 338 pp | 


OUT OF PRINT

  
  




Radiology  |  February, 1998


Although proper film processing is essential for optimal image quality, books on this subject are few and far between. This well-written textbook not only clarifies a seemingly complex and mysterious subject for those of us who enjoy understanding 'how things work' but also provides practical information for all of us who want film processing to work even better. The book may be of particular interest to those involved with mammography because improvements in film processing enable earlier detection of breast cancer.

"The book is a pleasure to read in detail or browse through to get an overview. Both theoretic and practical information are presented in a clear, well-organized manner. After reading each chapter, I believed I understood the content more clearly and I was eager to continue on to the next portion of the text. This is the type of book one would expect from the authors. Arthur G. Haus, a medical physicist, is well known for his many contributions to mammography. Both he and his co-author, Susan Jaskulski, a radiologic technologist, have lectured widely on the technical aspects of mammography. The quality of their teaching is reflected in this book.

"Chapter 1, 'Film'; chapter 2, 'Chemicals'; and chapter 3, 'Processors' each begin with a fascinating history of these systems and are rich in archival illustrations and anecdotes. However, most of these chapters contain easily understood discussions of topics such as the physics and chemistry of single- and double-emulsion film; types of film grains; latent image formation; film storage requirements; film development; health, safety, and environmental issues affecting the use of processing chemicals; the manner in which automatic film processors work; processor area design; processor installation; and maintenance. These chapters are a cornucopia of useful information.

"The fourth chapter, 'Image Quality', includes discussions of exposure density, characteristic curves, film speed, contrast, latitude, image blur, and radiographic noise. Anyone who wants to learn about these image quality parameters will enjoy reading this well-presented material. Chapter 5, 'Quality Control,' covers material that can also be found in most quality control manuals and was included for completeness

"As a radiologist, I found Chapter 6, 'Film Artifacts,' to be particularly engrossing because it illustrates how specific artifacts can be identified according to appearance and orientation and how these features are related to their causes. Chapter 7, 'Troubleshooting,' is also interesting to diagnosticians because it provides a valuable systematic approach to processing problems: identification, causes, and corrective actions.

"The book also contains seven appendixes, which are small chapters on handling and processing of mammography film, managing the mammographic darkroom, cleaning of intensifying machines, processing of mobile van film, and evaluating processing speed (STEP test) for the Mammography Quality Standards Act.

"Throughout the boothe authors make film processing understandable and interesting. They accomplish this by organizing each chapter into a logical series of short, clearly defined sections and by including an average of at least one high-quality figure or table on each page to reiterate a major point

"Although the title ofthe book is similar to Film Processing in Medical Imaging (Medical Physics Publishing, 1993), a compilation of 21 chapters by 35 authors and co-authors and edited by Arthur G. Haus, the textbooks are substantially different and complement each other. The book also differs from the American College of Radiology Mammography Quality Control Manual in terms of aims and scope.

"The book is invaluable to radiology residents as part of their training in medical physics, technologists who are involved in quality control, medical physicists, and practicing radiologists who want to understand film processing and be responsible for ensuring and improving image quality."
Stephen A. Feig, MD