Does a flat panel detector reduce the patient radiation dose in interventional cardiology?

An internal audit has been performed to evaluate the patient radiation dose in the clinical use of X-ray cardiac flat panel detector (FPD) systems. Fluoroscopy and image acquisition (cine mode) programs are optimised for low-dose settings. The diagnostic and therapeutic interventional cardiac procedures are performed at 6 pulse s(-1) for fluoroscopy and 15 frames s(-1) for image acquisition.

Changing from image intensifier to flat detector technology for interventional cardiology procedures: a practical point of view.

A small-scale internal audit has been used to evaluate the impact of the use of a dynamic flat panel detector in the clinical routine in the National Interventional Cardiology Centre in Luxembourg. The parameters tested during commissioning and constancy control of an X-ray system, the introduction of new clinical protocols, the patient and the personal staff dosimetry were considered. The technical parameters tested by the hospital physicist stay the same as for the image intensifier.