DRC Technology & Digital Tools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which file format is most commonly used to store and transmit digital dental radiographic images in compliance with DICOM standards?
- JPEG
- PNG
- DCM (Correct answer)
- TIFF
Correct answer: DCM
DCM (DICOM) is the standard file format for medical and dental digital images, ensuring interoperability across systems.
Question 2: What is the primary advantage of using a phosphor plate (PSP) system over direct digital sensors in dental radiography?
- Higher resolution images
- Flexibility and reusability with no direct wiring (Correct answer)
- Lower radiation dose
- Faster image acquisition
Correct answer: Flexibility and reusability with no direct wiring
PSP plates are flexible and reusable, eliminating the need for direct wiring, which makes them more comfortable for patients especially in posterior regions.
Question 3: In digital radiography, what does 'bit depth' determine?
- Image file size only
- The number of shades of gray displayable in the image (Correct answer)
- The physical size of the sensor
- The speed of image acquisition
Correct answer: The number of shades of gray displayable in the image
Bit depth determines the number of gray shades an image can display; higher bit depth provides more diagnostic detail in digital radiographs.
Question 4: Which digital radiography sensor type provides the fastest image acquisition time?
- Phosphor plate (PSP)
- Charge-coupled device (CCD) (Correct answer)
- Film-based with digital conversion
- Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
Correct answer: Charge-coupled device (CCD)
CCD sensors provide near-instantaneous image display, typically within seconds of exposure, making them among the fastest digital acquisition methods.
Question 5: When calibrating a digital radiography system, what is the purpose of performing a 'flat-field correction'?
- To adjust the vertical alignment of the sensor
- To compensate for non-uniform pixel sensitivity across the sensor (Correct answer)
- To set the correct exposure time
- To update the software firmware
Correct answer: To compensate for non-uniform pixel sensitivity across the sensor
Flat-field correction compensates for non-uniform pixel sensitivity, ensuring consistent image quality across the entire sensor surface.
Question 6: What type of artifact appears as a black crescent-shaped mark on a digital phosphor plate image?
- Static electricity artifact
- Bending or flexion artifact (Correct answer)
- Scratching artifact
- Light leak artifact
Correct answer: Bending or flexion artifact
Bending or flexing a PSP plate causes crescent-shaped dark artifacts due to pressure-induced stimulation of the photostimulable phosphors.
Question 7: In a digital radiography software system, what function does the 'density' adjustment tool primarily alter?
- Overall brightness of the image (Correct answer)
- Image sharpness
- Color saturation
- Image magnification
Correct answer: Overall brightness of the image
The density adjustment tool changes the overall brightness (lightness or darkness) of the digital radiographic image to improve diagnostic visibility.
DRC Technology & Digital Tools 2
Which file format is most commonly used to store and transmit digital dental radiographic images in compliance with DICOM standards?