[Precision of half-value layer measurement on mammography]

Abstract

The half-value layer (HVL) is an important index of the image quality or radiation risk in mammography. Radiation risk of the breast tissue is evaluated with the average glandular dose. The HVL index is indispensable for the average glandular dose computations. We investigated the influence of multiple factors that affect HVL value, such as thickness or purity of the aluminum attenuator, detector material of dosimeter, fluctuation of X-ray output, detector location in X-ray field and so on, for accurate average glandular dose computations. We found some aluminum plates about 20% thicker than nominal thickness. The HVL values between seven filter sets were different in about 5% at the maximum. In addition, we reduced a fluctuation of X-ray output with dose monitoring. Then, the standard deviation of HVL value decreased from 1.114% to 0.105%. HVL value obtained from a solid-state detector was statistically thicker than that measured by ionization chamber. It has been reported that there was a difference in the half-value layer under the influence of a heel effect by location of the measurement. Accompanied with alternation of detector location, HVL value of PCM (Konica Minolta) had a significant difference, while Novation (Siemens) and Senographe 2000D (GE) had no change.