Image quality evaluation of flat panel detector binning in x-ray fluoroscopy

Pixel-binning is used in flat-panel (FP) x-ray detectors for fluoroscopy to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and lower digital data rates. In this study, we quantitatively assessed image quality of image sequences acquired with and without binning using a clinically relevant task of detecting the tip of a guidewire. Detection was evaluated at two exposures and at two different orientations with respect to the guidewire, without binning and for three binning methods. We evaluated conventional data line (D) and gate line (G) binning and a third novel method in which alternate frames in an image sequence used D and G-binning. While the best conventional binning method depended on orientation and exposure, alternate binning was not significantly (p>0.1) different from the corresponding best conventional method. The results indicate that orientation independent alternate binning can be a desirable replacement for conventional binning methods.