If the detector's matrix size increases while the field of view remains constant, what happens to pixel pitch?

If the detector's matrix size increases while the field of view remains constant, what happens to pixel pitch?

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Stays the same
• D. Becomes random

Answer: (B)

When the field of view is fixed, pixel pitch depends on how many pixels fit across that field. Pixel pitch is essentially FOV divided by the matrix size along that direction. If you increase the matrix size while keeping the FOV the same, the same area is divided into more pixels, so the distance between the centers of adjacent pixels gets smaller. In other words, pixel pitch decreases, which raises the sampling density and can improve spatial resolution (up to the detector’s physical limits). For example, doubling the matrix size from 256 to 512 for a constant 40 cm FOV reduces the pitch from about 0.156 cm to about 0.078 cm.

When the field of view is fixed, pixel pitch depends on how many pixels fit across that field. Pixel pitch is essentially FOV divided by the matrix size along that direction. If you increase the matrix size while keeping the FOV the same, the same area is divided into more pixels, so the distance between the centers of adjacent pixels gets smaller. In other words, pixel pitch decreases, which raises the sampling density and can improve spatial resolution (up to the detector’s physical limits). For example, doubling the matrix size from 256 to 512 for a constant 40 cm FOV reduces the pitch from about 0.156 cm to about 0.078 cm.