Does the use of additional X-ray beam filtration during cine acquisition reduce clinical image quality and effective dose in cardiac interventional imaging?

The impact of spectral filtration in digital ('cine') acquisition was investigated using a flat panel cardiac interventional X-ray imaging system. A 0.1-mm copper (Cu) and 1.0-mm aluminium (Al) filter added to the standard acquisition mode created the filtered mode for comparison. Image sequences of 35 patients were acquired, a double-blind subjective image quality assessment was completed and dose-area product (DAP) rates were calculated. Entrance surface dose (ESD) and effective dose (E) rates were determined for 20- and 30-cm phantoms. Phantom ESD fell by 28 and 41 % and E by 1 and 0.7 %, for the 20- and 30-cm phantoms, respectively, when using the filtration. Patient DAP rates fell by 43 % with no statistically significant difference in clinical image quality. Adding 0.1-mm Cu and 1.0-mm Al filtration in acquisition substantially reduces patient ESD and DAP, with no significant change in E or clinical image quality.