What action can help reduce system noise?

Proper equipment maintenance plays a crucial role in reducing system noise in digital radiography. Noise can stem from various sources, including electronic components within the imaging system and issues related to detector performance. Regular maintenance ensures that the equipment is functioning optimally, with components such as the detector and the image processing algorithms operating as intended. This includes cleaning the imaging plates, replacing worn or damaged parts, and calibrating the system, which can all contribute to a clearer image with less noise.

In contrast, increasing patient dose, decreasing exposure time, and using higher kVp settings may not effectively address the noise issue. Increasing the dose can improve image quality in certain scenarios but raises ethical concerns about patient safety and radiation exposure. Decreasing exposure time can lead to motion blur, especially if the patient movement is not well controlled, affecting image clarity more than noise. Higher kVp settings can penetrate tissues better but may also increase the noise due to scatter radiation and the overall quantum noise in the image. Hence, maintaining the equipment properly is the most effective solution to reduce system noise while ensuring optimal imaging quality.