RadioGraphics, Vol 16, 1467-1479, Copyright © 1996 by Radiological Society of North America
Physics and chemistry of film and processing
EI Kitts Jr
Diagnostic Imaging Research Laboratory, Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, Brevard, NC 28712-0267, USA.
An image containing the equivalent of almost 1 billion digital bits of
diagnostic information can be recorded and displayed on a single sheet of
film with use of a high-resolution screen-film radiographic system. The
information storage capacity, versatility, and very low cost of screen-film
radiographic systems are impressive. However, the inherent coupling of the
recording and display functions does not allow optimization of these two
functions independently, and this limitation has important implications for
optimizing the radiographic image. The photographic process, including
latent image formation and chemical development of that latent image,
depends on many complex, time- and temperature-dependent phenomena that
must be taken into consideration for optimizing the diagnostic image. Once
the diagnostic image is processed and ready for viewing by
transillumination, the complex response of the human eye requires careful
attention to viewing conditions to optimize the information transfer from
the film to the human observer.
