How can image brightness be adjusted during processing?

The adjustment of image brightness during processing is effectively achieved by modifying the window level. The window level, part of the windowing technique used in digital imaging, determines the midpoint brightness value of the image. By increasing or decreasing the window level, the overall brightness of the image is adjusted, which allows for better visualization of structures within different tissue densities.

Windowing is essential in radiology because it helps radiologists optimize the visibility of anatomical features and pathological findings on the images. For instance, when a radiologist raises the window level, the image becomes brighter, which can reveal details in denser areas that may have been obscured. Conversely, lowering the window level would darken the image, which might be beneficial for visualizing less dense structures.

While the other options may relate to the overall imaging process, they do not directly influence the brightness of an image in the same specific manner that modifying the window level does. For example, changing the exposure technique primarily affects the initial image capture but does not alter the brightness of an already captured image. Similarly, the type of imaging equipment and the use of different contrast agents may impact the quality and contrast of the images, but they are not methods for directly adjusting the brightness during the image processing phase.