Patient Positioning Factors That Improve Imaging and Therapy Success, Part 1: Image Quality

Patient positioning is crucial to therapy success because it directly impacts image quality, patient experiences and caregiver efficiency. The right positioning aids make it easy for caregivers to capture high-quality images while keeping patients safe and comfortable. This article series details patient positioning factors that improve imaging and therapy success, beginning with image quality. 

Radiolucency promotes image clarity

Radiolucent materials allow X-rays to pass through positioning aids, minimizing or eliminating noise and artifacts. The result is clear imaging that helps caregivers direct successful therapies.

The challenge is to balance radiolucency with patient comfort and support. Material density heavily influences radiolucency, so while dense foams provide comfort, they can also block X-rays. Less dense foams allow X-rays to pass through.

Attenuation measures how much an X-ray signal weakens as it passes through a material. Researchers identify the best materials for patient positioning aids by comparing attenuation percentages at various X-ray intensities, measured in kilovoltage peak (kVp). The lower the attenuation percentage, the clearer the image.

Consider these example material attenuation percentages, measured at 60 kVp:

Delrin is a plastic that offers excellent stability, but it’s not practical for imaging because its high attenuation would block X-rays or require significantly stronger signals to pass through the material. Acrylic’s lower attenuation makes it a better choice for patient positioning. 

When it comes to radiolucency, it's important to consider the sum of a product's parts – and the sum of the positioning aids used together. For example, memory foam and a healthcare fabric cover make a good combination for a pad, and that pad would pair well with a carbon fiber arm board that provides strength and durability alongside radiolucency.

Patient movement jeopardizes image quality

Uncomfortable patients tend to move, negatively impacting image quality and, in some cases, requiring re-imaging. The best patient positioning aids balance radiolucency with comfort so patients can remain still during imaging – whether a 15-minute intervention or a two-hour procedure.

Design is just as important as material selection. Good designs feature contours that position patients naturally. Most patient positioning aids are designed with multiple layers, each with a unique purpose.  

To recap, patient positioning aids designed with natural contours and comfortable, radiolucent materials make it easier for caregivers to capture high-quality images that influence better therapy outcomes.

Next steps

Discover patient positioning factors that influence comfort and safety in Part 2 of this series.